Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced legislation on Tuesday aimed at educating K-12 students about the risks of artificial intelligence and allowing schools to use existing federal funds to address mental health issues linked to AI chatbot use.
The bill, titled the Safeguard Kids Act, would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Under the proposal, school districts could use Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) Federal Block Grants to fund AI literacy programs and specialized student counseling. The legislation does not increase federal spending or add to the national deficit.
In a statement, Scott compared the technological shift to historic leaps in communication while emphasizing the need for structured guidance.
“Artificial Intelligence has the potential to be the greatest information innovation since the printing press, but technology is only as good as our ability to use it well and for the right reasons,” Scott said. “We cannot let AI be the wild west and hope our kids figure it out; that doesn’t work. It’s on us to guide them as they grow. We need to teach kids about the risks associated with AI, so they can be the kind of principled innovators, leaders, and job creators America’s future economy needs.”
If passed, the bill would formally define “artificial intelligence” and “artificial intelligence chatbot” within federal education law. It would authorize schools to teach students about the dangers, limitations, and responsible use of these technologies. Additionally, the bill explicitly permits schools to use federal grant money to provide mental health counseling for issues arising from the use of AI chatbots.
The legislative push comes amid growing scrutiny over how young people interact with conversational technology. An October 2025 study highlighted 15 distinct ethical risks associated with AI chatbot behavior in mental health settings. Researchers identified issues such as “false empathy,” where a bot mimics human emotion, responses that reinforce a user’s negative self-beliefs, and a general lack of crisis management features.
Federal regulatory data also points to rising consumer concerns. Since 2022, the Federal Trade Commission has received more than 200 complaints specifically targeting ChatGPT. These filings include allegations of AI-induced psychosis, instances linked to suicides, and at least one murder case. In one documented incident, a young woman reportedly used ChatGPT to write her suicide note.
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