Two US states moved this week to formally restrict or ban the clinical use of AI in mental health therapy, with Maine sending a prohibition bill to the governor on April 10 and Missouri advancing a similar measure through an omnibus health care bill. The legislative activity targeting therapy chatbots has picked up significant speed in 2026, as states act far faster than the federal government.
Maine Bill: No Clinical AI, Admin Only
Maine's LD 2082 was sent to the governor on April 10. It would prohibit the clinical use of AI in mental health therapy while allowing it in purely administrative roles. Missouri's HB 2372 goes further, covering therapy services, psychotherapy services, and mental health diagnoses, with a $10,000 penalty for first violations enforced by the state Attorney General, according to the Transparency Coalition.
The key distinction both bills draw between clinical treatment and administrative support reflects a legislative approach: preserve AI's efficiency benefits in healthcare while drawing a firm line against AI replacing licensed clinical judgment.
Why States Are Acting Now: Commercial Chatbot Flood
The surge in state-level AI regulation is driven in part by the rapid proliferation of commercial therapy chatbot products marketed directly to consumers, some deployed in clinical or clinical-adjacent settings without the same oversight applied to human practitioners. Critics say these products reached vulnerable people while regulatory frameworks remained largely silent.
As crypto.news reported, AI is now embedded across government agencies in sensitive analytical roles, pressuring policymakers at every level to define where AI can and cannot substitute for human judgment. The therapy chatbot bans are a direct legislative answer to that pressure in a healthcare context.
Wider Wave: Anti-Prediction Market Bills and AI Measures
The therapy chatbot bans are part of a broader legislative wave. More than 10 anti-prediction market bills have been introduced in Congress since January 2026, and state legislatures across the country have filed dozens of AI-focused measures targeting different sectors.
As crypto.news noted, the federal government is simultaneously accelerating AI adoption and fighting legal battles over where AI authority begins and ends. States appear to be filling the vacuum, passing binding restrictions on specific high-risk applications while Washington debates broader frameworks.