Binding law — in force
Therapists must give written notice and get consent before using AI on recorded or transcribed sessions (Illinois HB 1806)
When an Illinois licensed professional uses AI for supplementary support, such as drafting therapy notes or records, on a session that is recorded or transcribed, 225 ILCS 155/15(b) requires two things first: written notice to the client or their legally authorized representative that AI will be used and for what specific purpose, and that person's consent. Consent has a strict meaning in Section 10: an explicit, written, revocable affirmative act. Accepting broad terms of use, hovering over or closing content, or deceptive design does not count. Detect session audio or transcripts flowing into AI note-taking or summarization with no per-client written AI notice and recorded, revocable consent on the path.
il-hb1806.ai-session-recording-notice-consent · 225 ILCS 155/15(b) · official source · jurisdictions: US-IL
Binding law — in force
Therapists must keep AI out of client therapeutic communication, therapy decisions, and unapproved treatment plans (Illinois HB 1806)
Under 225 ILCS 155/20(b)(1)-(3), a licensed Illinois therapy professional may use AI only within the Act's permitted uses, meaning administrative or supplementary support for which the professional stays fully responsible, and may not let the AI decide therapeutic questions on its own, engage clients in any therapeutic exchange, or produce therapeutic recommendations or treatment plans the professional has not reviewed and approved. AI help with notes and records is allowed; AI speaking to the client in a therapeutic role is not. Detect clinical-software paths where model output goes straight to a client, sets a therapeutic decision, or becomes an active treatment plan without a recorded licensed-professional approval.
il-hb1806.ai-therapy-role-limits · 225 ILCS 155/20(b) · official source · jurisdictions: US-IL
Binding law — in force
Therapists must not use AI to detect clients' emotions or mental states (Illinois HB 1806)
225 ILCS 155/20(b)(4) forbids an Illinois-licensed therapy professional from letting AI infer a client's emotions or mental state. Unlike the EU AI Act's ban on emotion recognition at work and in education, this one sits inside the therapy relationship and has no medical exception in its text, so affect recognition on session audio or video, emotion classifiers run over session transcripts, and prompts asking a model to read a client's mood or mental state all fall in its path. Detect emotion or mental-state inference libraries, model ids, APIs, or prompts wired into software a licensed professional uses with clients.
il-hb1806.no-ai-emotion-detection-in-therapy · 225 ILCS 155/20(b) · official source · jurisdictions: US-IL
Binding law — in force
AI must not provide or be offered as therapy to the Illinois public unless a licensed professional conducts it (Illinois HB 1806)
Illinois's Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act makes it unlawful for any person or business to deliver, market, or offer therapy or psychotherapy to people in Illinois, naming Internet-based AI expressly, unless an Illinois-licensed professional is the one conducting the service. A chatbot or app that acts as the therapist, or is sold as one, is the core pattern it reaches; clergy counseling, peer support, and publicly available self-help or educational material that does not claim to be therapy are carved out. Detect a public-facing AI conversation or product surface that performs or advertises therapy with no licensed professional conducting it.
il-hb1806.no-unlicensed-ai-therapy · 225 ILCS 155/20(a) · official source · jurisdictions: US-IL