HF 3893 Minnesota House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Use of artificial intelligence in psychotherapy services regulated, and civil penalties provided.

This bill regulates the use of artificial intelligence in psychotherapy services in Minnesota, primarily affecting licensed mental health professionals and organizations that provide therapy. It defines specific categories of AI use, prohibiting AI systems from making independent therapeutic decisions or directly interacting with clients during therapeutic communication, while allowing AI for administrative tasks like scheduling, billing, and analyzing anonymized data. The legislation also establishes civil penalties for violations and clarifies that religious counseling and peer support services fall outside these restrictions.

Issues: ✗ Technology

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 2, 2026 Last action Apr 9, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

1st Engrossment → 2nd Engrossment · 4 edits · Apr 7, 2026

MODERATE

The bill moved from its first to second engrossment, updating the posting date and adding new sections to the table of contents. Substantively, the bill expands the definition of who can manage appointment scheduling to include business associates under specific agreements, clarifies the licensing boards' authority to investigate violations and impose disciplinary actions, and adds new sections to the bill's structure.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include 'business associates' in the management of appointment scheduling and to clarify the enforcement powers of health-related licensing boards.

DEFINITION

Added a definition for 'business associate' referencing federal regulations to clarify who can manage appointment scheduling alongside licensed professionals and their employees.

ENFORCEMENT

Expanded the authority of health-related licensing boards to explicitly include determining violations and imposing disciplinary actions, while adding a statement that nothing limits their duty to protect public health and safety.

TECHNICAL

Added new sections (1.22, 5.29-5.33, 6.1-6.4) to the table of contents, indicating new substantive content or reorganization within the bill.

Updated the document title and posting date to reflect the second engrossment version.

Introduction → 1st Engrossment · 6 edits · Mar 23, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was updated from its introduction to the first engrossment stage, incorporating significant new provisions regarding the use of artificial intelligence and ambient listening in psychotherapy. The changes redefine key terms to include specific AI capabilities and expand the list of regulated professionals to include social workers. Most notably, the bill now mandates strict consent procedures and disclosure requirements for using ambient listening devices, while increasing civil penalties for violations from $10,000 to $50,000 for licensed professionals.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to explicitly include graduate social workers, independent social workers, and independent clinical social workers in addition to licensed social workers, and it added specific regulations for the use of ambient listening technology in therapeutic settings.

DEFINITION

Definitions were updated to clarify that 'artificial intelligence system' includes chatbots and to add a new definition for 'ambient listening' regarding devices that transcribe conversations.

ELIGIBILITY

The list of licensed professionals subject to the bill's regulations was expanded to include graduate social workers, independent social workers, and independent clinical social workers.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements were added mandating that licensed professionals obtain written, informed consent from clients before using ambient listening devices and must disclose specific data privacy details.

A new rule requires chatbots used for administrative support to immediately inform clients that they are not human beings and list specific sensitive topics clients should not share with them.

New provisions require licensed professionals to maintain responsibility for proofreading and correcting any errors in case notes generated by ambient listening technology.

ENFORCEMENT

Civil penalties for licensed professionals violating the new AI and ambient listening rules were increased from $10,000 to $50,000 per violation.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee report, to adopt as amended and re-refer to Commerce Finance and Policy

lower

Mar 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee report, to adopt as amended and re-refer to Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

lower

Mar 2, 2026

Introduced

Introduction and first reading, referred to Health Finance and Policy

lower

1 primary · 6 co-sponsors