Two Cortez Masto Bills to Protect Nevadans Clear Key Hurdle

Washington, D.C. – Two bills cosponsored by U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) to keep Nevada families safe were passed out of the Judiciary Committee, clearing the way for a vote before the full Senate. The Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue (GUARD) Act would protect children from AI chatbots, and the Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act would update federal law so prosecutors can more easily go after violent carjackers. “My priority is always to ensure Nevada families are protected, whether that’s from violent criminals or the dangers of AI,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m proud to see that two of the bills I support that will keep Nevadans safe have been passed out of committee, and I will continue working with my colleagues across the aisle to ensure they become law.” The GUARD Act , introduced by Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), would ban AI companions for minors and impose criminal penalties on companies whose AI chatbots encourage minors to commit self-harm or violence. The Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act , introduced by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), would clarify the standard federal prosecutors have to meet in order to prosecute carjackers. Federal law currently requires prosecutors to prove that a perpetrator intended to kill or seriously harm the victim during a carjacking – an unnecessarily high threshold that has allowed violent criminals to slip through the cracks. As the former top law enforcement official in Nevada, Senator Cortez Masto has been a leading advocate for protecting American families. She has secured historic funding for the Byrne JAG grant program , the leading source of criminal justice funding in the country. She helped pass the Kids Online Safety Act through the Senate, and her federal legislation to help train law enforcement to identify and prevent child trafficking and to combat human trafficking activity on social media was signed into law . ###