[MHAIP]
AI mental health laws are being passed before we know what actually protects people. We work to close that gap: studying what's being enacted, listening to the clinicians, consumers, and communities these laws affect, and turning that into guidance that helps policymakers write laws that work.
What's at stake
The evidence on its impact is growing, showing both real benefits and real harms. The current patchwork of state laws, often written before that evidence was available, is not yet equipped to address either side of the picture.
of US adolescents and young adults now use generative AI for mental health advice.
AI-related bills introduced across 45 states by March 2026, with mental health a consistent focus.
enacted state laws governing AI in mental health, often using incompatible approaches.
A growing body of evidence documents AI-associated harms in users seeking mental health support, including emerging clinical reports of AI-related psychiatric presentations and crisis-detection failures linked to teen suicides. At the same time, AI tools have shown efficacy for mild-to-moderate mental health symptoms and have the potential to address real treatment gaps and reduce administrative burden on a strained mental health workforce.
Sources: McBain et al., 2025 · Østergaard, 2023 · Garcia v. Character Technologies (Settled, 2026) · Heinz et al., 2025 · Li et al., 2023 · Tierney et al., 2024
THE ISSUE
Regulating AI in mental health is a new policy area, with Utah starting in March 2025. States are drafting the laws that will govern it, and the choices they make now will shape the field for years to come. Three challenges are already taking shape.
Our work
The Mental Health AI Policy Project is an independent research and policy initiative working to ensure that AI regulation in mental health is grounded in evidence and shaped by the people it affects: consumers, clinicians, and developers. AI is a significant development in mental health support, and it requires governance to ensure it serves people well. At present, regulation is neither grounded in evidence nor informed by the communities it affects. We work to make sure people can use these tools safely, with appropriate safeguards, and to define what a sound regulatory framework looks like. Here is how:
Identify
We identify and track state laws and bills governing AI in mental health to map the current regulatory landscape, giving consumers, policy staffers, and developers a clear source for understanding where policy stands.
DeliverableA live 50-state tracker, with bill summaries and links to legislative language.
Analyze
We compare state approaches with federal frameworks, empirical evidence, and international precedent to show what's working and what isn't.
DeliverableBriefs and comparative analyses that inform policy recommendations.
Convene
We convene clinicians, developers, and consumers, especially youth, in structured consultations to hear directly from the people these laws affect. Too often, these communities' input is missing from policy development.
DeliverablePublished consultation summaries that inform policy recommendations.
Translate
We develop policy recommendations and best-practice frameworks that strengthen consumer safety, clarify expectations for mental health clinicians, and enable responsible innovation.
DeliverableBest-practice frameworks for regulating AI in mental health.
50-state tracker
Our 50-state tracker compiles every active bill and enacted law governing AI in mental health, with details on scope, requirements, enforcement, and date of action.
Open the trackerOur Commitments
The Mental Health AI Policy Project is independently governed. We publicly disclose our funders and publish our methodology and analyses.
Monthly updates on state legislation, federal policy, and emerging research at the intersection of AI and mental health.
We welcome conversations with funders, state policymakers, clinical organizations, and researchers working at this intersection.
info@mhaipolicy.org