# Hawley calls for liability rules for AI agent developers and users

_Published Friday, October 2, 2026 at 9:09 AM EDT · Policy · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Hawley calls for liability rules for AI agent developers and users — Primary](https://www.meritalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Hawley.jpg)

Sen. Josh Hawley called on Sept. 30 for rules holding AI companies and users liable for harm caused by their agents, MeriTalk reported. At a Senate subcommittee hearing, he argued that developers should bear responsibility when recklessly made products cause significant damage.

His proposed legislation would impose liability on companies that recklessly design agents and users who recklessly deploy them. It would also allow criminal charges against companies that know their agents can commit crimes and fail to establish reasonable safeguards, with a similar standard for users who knowingly allow criminal conduct.

The timing of the bill's introduction remained unclear; Hawley's office did not respond before publication.

## Sources

- [MeriTalk](https://www.meritalk.com/articles/hawley-calls-for-new-ai-regulations-liability-rules/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/7iTGugGveh-nGFhP7lnzse
Published: 2026-10-02T13:09:08.037Z
Story chronology: 2026-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-02T16:00:55.964Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)