S 1213 Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.
Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act
To prohibit the distribution of materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media relating to candidates for Federal office, and for other purposes.
Summary
The Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act would prohibit the knowing distribution of materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media about federal candidates for the purpose of influencing elections or soliciting funds. The legislation defines such prohibited media as AI-generated content that would cause a reasonable person to have a fundamentally different understanding of a candidate's appearance, speech, or conduct than they would from the original, unaltered content. The bill includes exceptions for news broadcasts and publications that clearly disclose questions about authenticity or state that the media does not accurately represent the candidate, as well as for satire or parody. Federal candidates could seek injunctive relief to stop distribution of prohibited AI media or sue for damages using a clear and convincing evidence standard, with courts able to award attorney's fees and costs.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN)
4 cosponsors
Actions (2)
- Mar 31, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. · senate
- Mar 31, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 31, 2025
Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Hawley, Mr. Coons, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Bennet) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration
A BILL
To prohibit the distribution of materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media relating to candidates for Federal office, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act”.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALLY DECEPTIVE AI- GENERATED AUDIO OR VISUAL MEDIA PRIOR TO ELECTION.
(a) In General.—Title III of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
“SEC. 325. PROHIBITION ON DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALLY DECEPTIVE AI- GENERATED AUDIO OR VISUAL MEDIA.
“(a) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Covered individual.—The term ‘covered individual’ means a candidate for Federal office.
“(2) Deceptive ai-generated audio or visual media.—The term ‘deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media’ means an image, audio, or video that—
“(A) is the product of artificial intelligence technology that uses machine learning (including deep learning models, natural learning processing, or any other computational processing techniques of similar or greater complexity), that—
“(i) merges, combines, replaces, or superimposes content onto an image, audio, or video, creating an image, audio, or video that appears authentic; or
“(ii) generates an inauthentic image, audio, or video that appears authentic; and
“(B) a reasonable person, having considered the qualities of the image, audio, or video and the nature of the distribution channel in which the image, audio, or video appears—
“(i) would have a fundamentally different understanding or impression of the appearance, speech, or expressive conduct exhibited in the image, audio, or video than that person would have if that person were hearing or seeing the unaltered, original version of the image, audio, or video; or
“(ii) would believe that the image, audio, or video accurately exhibits any appearance, speech, or expressive conduct of a person who did not actually exhibit such appearance, speech, or expressive conduct.
“(3) Federal election activity.—The term ‘Federal election activity’ has the meaning given the term in section 301(20)(A)(iii).
“(b) Prohibition.—Except as provided in subsection (c), a person, political committee, or other entity may not knowingly distribute materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media in carrying out a Federal election activity or of a covered individual for the purpose of—
“(1) influencing an election; or
“(2) soliciting funds.
“(c) Inapplicability to Certain Entities.—This section shall not apply to the following:
“(1) A radio or television broadcasting station, including a cable or satellite television operator, programmer, or producer, or a streaming service that broadcasts materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media prohibited by this section as part of a bona fide newscast, news interview, news documentary, or on-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events, if the broadcast clearly acknowledges through content or a disclosure, in a manner that can be easily heard or read by the average listener or viewer, that there are questions about the authenticity of the materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media.
“(2) A regularly published newspaper, magazine, or other periodical of general circulation, including an internet or electronic publication, that routinely carries news and commentary of general interest, and that publishes materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media prohibited under this section, if the publication clearly states that the materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media does not accurately represent the speech or conduct of the covered individual.
“(3) Materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media that constitutes satire or parody.
“(d) Civil Action.—
“(1) Injunctive or other equitable relief.—
“(A) In general.—A covered individual whose voice or likeness appears in, or who is the subject of, a materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media, including content distributed as part of a Federal election activity, distributed in violation of this section may seek injunctive or other equitable relief prohibiting the distribution of materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media in violation of this section.
“(B) Precedence.—An action under this paragraph shall be entitled to precedence in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
“(2) Damages.—
“(A) In general.—A covered individual whose voice or likeness appears in, or who is the subject of, a materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media, including content distributed as part of a Federal election activity, distributed in violation of this section may bring an action for general or special damages against the person, committee, or other entity that distributed the materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media.
“(B) Attorney’s fees and costs.—In addition to any damages awarded under subparagraph (A), the court may also award a prevailing party reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
“(C) Rule of construction.—Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to limit or preclude a plaintiff from securing or recovering any other available remedy.
“(3) Burden of proof.—In any civil action alleging a violation of this section, the plaintiff shall bear the burden of establishing the violation through clear and convincing evidence.”.
(b) Severability.—If any provision of this Act, or an amendment made by this Act, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this Act, or an amendment made by this Act, or the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected. <all>
Comments