Joint House committees review bill to let DOC operate locked forensic facility for certain defendants Legislative counsel walked joint House Corrections & Institutions and House Judiciary members through S.193, which would let the Department of Corrections run a locked forensic facility for a narrow set of defendants (those tied to life-penalty offenses who are incompetent to stand trial or found not guilty by reason of insanity); the bill sets admission criteria, clinical safeguards, monitoring, involuntary-medication rules tied to Sell v. United States, and an October interim report and rulemaking schedule.

A new bill could revolutionize how Vermont handles defendants deemed incompetent to stand trial or found not guilty by reason of insanity, creating a specialized locked facility for their treatment and evaluation.

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Supporters urge safeguards in AI‑behavioral health bill; industry warns of overbreadth Delegate Lily Chi presented HB 883 to prohibit AI systems from misrepresenting themselves as behavioral‑health providers and to require disclosures and suicide/crisis protocols; social‑work and health groups supported the bill while tech and business groups called it overly broad and urged Utah‑style, risk‑based amendments.

Maryland's House Bill 883 is igniting a fierce debate over the role of AI in behavioral health, with advocates pushing for strict safeguards against misleading systems.

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Guard Act targets AI 'companions' used by minors, sponsor says; industry asks for clarifications House Bill 20‑32 would require age verification for AI companions, force chatbots to disclose nonhuman status, bar development that recklessly creates AI that encourages self-harm or sexualized content for minors, and give the attorney general rulemaking authority; clinical witnesses supported the bill while a trade group warned definitions could be broad.

A new bill in Missouri aims to regulate AI companions for minors after tragic incidents highlight their potential dangers, requiring age verification and strict guidelines to prevent harm.

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Rep. Scott advances bill to bar independent AI psychotherapy; committee adds informed-consent guardrails Rep. Scott presented HF3893 to limit use of fully autonomous AI in psychotherapy; the committee adopted an A2 amendment adding informed-consent and clarity, heard psychologists and suicide-prevention advocates testify about documented harms, and the committee recommended the bill, as amended, to the next committee.

Rep. Scott is pushing a bold bill to keep AI out of psychotherapy, emphasizing that real care must come from trained professionals, not chatbots.

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Legislators debate mental health safeguards in New York end of life medication bill Concerns raised over lack of mental health training for physicians prescribing end of life medications.

A fierce debate in New York's Legislature is questioning whether doctors should be allowed to prescribe life-ending medication without mental health training, raising alarms about the potential risks for vulnerable patients.

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