Council Member Frank Morano. Image Credit: Gerardo Romo / NYC Council Media Unit.
A Council bill has been introduced that would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to educate New Yorkers about potential mental health effects associated with chatbot use and study the relationship between chatbot use and mental health. On September 10, 2026, Council Member Frank Morano introduced Int. No. 1049-2026. The bill was referred to the Council’s Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use.
The legislation defines “chatbox” as an artificial intelligence system that engages in interactive, natural-language communication with a user and generates or selects content in response to user inputs including text or voice.
The legislation states that within 180 days of enactment, the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene will implement a public awareness and outreach campaign regarding the potential negative mental health effects associated with chatbot use. The campaign would educate New Yorkers about risks including psychosis, suicidal ideation, distorted decision-making, social isolation, and potential self-injury or self-harm. Also, the campaign would address chatbot engagement tactics that may encourage prolonged use, including sycophancy, interpersonal continuity, and frictionless exchange.
The educational materials would provide information on how to identify overreliance or dependence on chatbots, available treatment and support resources, and best practices for safe chatbot use.
The Commissioner would also be required to develop educational materials specifically tailored to youth under 24, adults over 60, and veterans. The materials would be published on the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s website and reviewed annually.
The legislation would also require the Commissioner to conduct a citywide survey examining chatbot usage among New York City residents and the relationship between chatbot use and mental health and well-being. The first survey would be required within 180 days of enactment, with additional surveys conducted every three years thereafter.
The Commissioner would be required to submit an annual report to the City Council Speaker and the Mayor regarding the City’s efforts to address the mental health effects of chatbot use beginning one year after enactment. This report would include a summary of the Department’s outreach activities, an overview of contemporary research concerning chatbot use and mental health, and a summary of chatbot-related mental health emergencies occurring in New York City during the previous calendar year. Additionally, the report would include proposed policy initiatives addressing the negative mental health effects associated with chatbot use and, when applicable, the results and analysis of the City’s most recent survey.
In an interview with the New York Post, Council Member Morano said he was alarmed by reports of people experiencing delusions and suicidal or violent thoughts after engaging in extended conversations with AI chatbots. Comparing the potential public health risks to the opioid epidemic, Morano warned, “This is becoming so pervasive that it has the ability to be the next opioid epidemic — this is going to be the next great crisis the country faces.”
Int. No. 1049-2026 was referred to the City Council’s Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use on September 10, 2026. A hearing for this bill has not yet been scheduled.
The proposed law would take effect immediately upon passage.
By: Christina Ljuljic
Christina is a New York Law School student, Class of 2027. This article is a product of New York Law School’s Legal Journalism course for Fall 2026.