AI law comparison · Data verified 2026-08-22
California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) vs Nevada Mental Health AI Law
California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) and Nevada Mental Health AI Law are two of the 169 AI and data regulations Aegis Firma tracks. They have different scopes, effective dates, and penalties — and many businesses fall under both. Here is the side-by-side, drawn directly from the regulatory registry.
Find which laws apply to my businessSide by side
Summary of publicly available regulatory text. Verify against current official sources before relying on this for compliance decisions. Not legal advice.
The key difference
Nevada Mental Health AI Law takes effect first, so it is usually the more urgent of the two. California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) tracks 4 compliance requirements and Nevada Mental Health AI Law tracks 15. They are not interchangeable — meeting one does not discharge the other. The practical question is not which law is “stricter,” but which of them — or both — actually applies to your business.
California SB 243 — AI Companion Chatbot Safety Act
California SB 243 (signed October 13, 2025, effective January 1, 2026) regulates operators of AI companion chatbots — AI systems with a natural-language interface that provide adaptive, human-like responses and are capable of meeting a user's social or emotional needs. Operators must disclose the AI nature clearly and conspicuously when a reasonable person might be misled into believing they are interacting with a hu…
Full California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) requirementsNevada AI Stack — DOI Bulletin 24-001 (NAIC AI Model Bulletin), AB 406 Mental/Behavioral Healthcare AI, Utilization-Review and Claim-Denial Law
Nevada regulates AI through three separate surfaces. (1) INSURANCE — Division of Insurance Bulletin 24-001, "Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems by Insurers" (issued 23 February 2024, signed by Commissioner Scott J. Kipper), Nevada's adoption of the NAIC Model Bulletin on the Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems by Insurers (NAIC-adopted 4 December 2023). It applies to all insurers subject to Title 57 of NRS hol…
Full Nevada Mental Health AI Law requirementsCommon questions
Could both California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) and Nevada Mental Health AI Law apply to my business?
Yes. California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) and Nevada Mental Health AI Law are separate regulations with separate scopes — a business can fall under both at once. California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) covers Applies to "operators" of AI companion chatbots — companies that create, deploy, or make available AI systems specifically designed to form sustained, human-lik… Nevada Mental Health AI Law covers Three distinct populations. If your operations meet both scopes, you must comply with both. Aegis Firma's free scan checks all 169 tracked regulations against your business profile so you do not have to read each law to find out.
Which has the higher maximum penalty — California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) or Nevada Mental Health AI Law?
California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots): Private right of action ONLY (no AG enforcement in the statute): injunctive relief + the greater of actual damages or $1,000 per violation + reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, recoverable by the injured person Nevada Mental Health AI Law: AB 406: civil penalties up to $15,000 per violation for providers offering prohibited mental/behavioral healthcare AI, plus Nevada licensing board discipline (suspension/revocation) for licensed clinicians. INSURANCE (Bulletin 24-001 routes through the Unfair Trade Practices Act): administrative fine of not more than $5,000 for each act or violation of NRS 686A.010–686A.310 where the person knew or reasonably should have known of the violation, except that for licensed agents, brokers, solicitors and adjusters the fine must not exceed $500 per act, plus suspension or revocation of the license (NRS 686A.183(1)); a further administrative fine of not more than $5,000 for each and every violation of a resulting cease-and-desist order, plus suspension or revocation (NRS 686A.187). Corporate Governance Annual Disclosure: civil penalty of $1,500 for each day of late filing, capped at $100,000 (NRS 692C.3509). Independent utilization-review agents: fine of not more than $1,000 for violating NRS 683A.375–683A.378 (NRS 683A.379). Penalty structures differ by regulator and violation type — read each law's full page for the cure periods and per-violation detail.
When does each law take effect?
California SB 243 (Companion Chatbots) — effective 2026-01-01. Nevada Mental Health AI Law — effective 2024-02-23. Dates last verified against official sources on 2026-08-22 and 2026-08-26 respectively.
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