Virginia HB 669

Professions and occupations; impersonation of certain licensed professionals by chatbot; notice; civil liability. Provides that a proprietor that owns, operates, or deploys a chatbot, defined in the bill, shall not permit such chatbot to provide any substantive response, information, or advice, or take any action that, if taken by a natural person, would (i) constitute the unlawful practice of architecture, engineering, surveying, landscape architecture, geology, dentistry, medicine, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, certain mental health professions, psychology, social work, or veterinary medicine; (ii) violate the provisions of law making it unlawful for any person to practice medicine, osteopathic medicine, chiropractic, or podiatry or as a physician assistant in the Commonwealth without a valid unrevoked license or to practice law without being authorized or licensed; or (iii) violate the provisions of law making it unlawful for a teacher to be employed without a license or provisional license or relating to division superintendents, members of a school board or other school officers, or principals or teachers in a public school. The bill allows a person injured by a proprietor who engages in any such conduct to sue therefor no more than two years after the cause of action accrues and recover compensatory damages and reasonable attorney fees and costs. The bill also requires a proprietor operating or deploying a chatbot to provide a clear, conspicuous, and explicit notice to users that they are interacting with a chatbot but specifies that the provisions of such notice shall not be a defense to liability.