# US state AI-content law audit — evidence ledger

Reviewed October 11, 2026. **Handoff snapshot; remaining primary-source checks are explicitly marked.** This document covers all 50 states plus DC as a screening matrix, not a completed negative-law survey. No row asserts that a jurisdiction has no applicable law.

## Reading the verification status

- **V:** at least one relevant primary statutory/act text was actually observed. This verifies that law's cited content, not every law in that state or current litigation/enforcement.
- **S:** official bill disposition, enactment status, summary or primary court evidence was observed, but relevant operative coverage remains incomplete. This includes unrelated/false-positive candidate results; S is not proof of an AI-label duty or absence of other laws.
- **C:** individual official-domain search/source candidate located; complete current text, enacted status, applicability, or court status remains unverified.

Reconciled screening: 25 V, 19 S, 7 C jurisdictions. Sources with a C label must not drive a definitive public verdict. The elections-law survey used to identify candidates was the NCSL October 9 2026 survey; its statements were not substituted for primary-source verification.

## Confirmed corrections with high impact

**New York:** Current GBS396-b revision is June 12 2026. The commercial-ad producer/creator must conspicuously disclose a synthetic performer when it has actual knowledge. The definition includes GenAI or a software algorithm and excludes a recognizable identifiable real performer. The statute excludes audio ads, AI solely translating a human performer, expressive-work promotion consistent with the work, and transmitting advertising media. Penalties are $1,000 first/$5,000 subsequent. June 9 2026 commencement is corroborated by the Governor's official announcement. This is not a rule for every piece of AI-generated commercial content.

**California:** AB853 expressly changed the AI Transparency Act operative date to August 2 2026. Covered-provider threshold is over one million monthly visitors/users with public availability within California. Platform/hosting provisions start January 1 2027, capture-device provisions January 1 2028. Source: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB853.

California SB1050, chapter246, approved/filed September16 2026, adds BPC17610. It covers prominent GenAI synthetic figures, voices or representations in commercial advertising, including audio. Required wording is substantially similar to “this performance features a synthetic performer” or “no human performer is depicted.” Exceptions cover consistent expressive-work promotion and translation/accessibility-only uses. Advertising media's takedown/payment duties require service of a qualifying court order and enough identifying information. Expected January1 2027 effectiveness follows California Constitution ArticleIV8(c)(1); this is an inference from the ordinary commencement rule, not an express commencement sentence in SB1050. Constitution source: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CONS&sectionNum=SEC.%208.&article=IV.

**Utah:** The current 13-77-103 page states effective May7 2025. Consumer-transaction suppliers disclose AI when clearly and unambiguously asked. Regulated-profession providers proactively disclose before high-risk AI interactions, verbally at the start and in writing before written interactions. Definition includes sensitive health/financial/biometric data collection and advice relied on for significant decisions. Current 13-77-102 (amended May6 2026) says using AI is not a defense to consumer-protection violations. Sources: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title13/Chapter77/13-77-S101.html and https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title13/Chapter77/13-77-S102.html.

**Election contexts:** A label is not a universal cure. Some statutes prohibit particular deceptive election media; others have disclaimer defenses or civil court-ordered labels. Maryland 2026 chapter444 is a targeted criminal prohibition, effective June1 2026, with statutory news/satire/platform exceptions. Michigan MCL169.259 instead requires format-specific disclosure for paid political advertisements containing AI-generated image/audio/video, effective February13 2024; separate MCL168.932f addresses harmful deepfakes. Kentucky 2025 chapter66 allows court-ordered disclosure of qualifying electioneering synthetic media within45 days, with media exceptions.

**Court-status limitation:** No current injunction/appeal docket was independently reviewed in this draft. Do not mark a political law enforceable solely because enacted text appears in the code. Specific candidate challenges involving California, Hawaii, Montana and Vermont must be checked against primary court orders before implementation.

## 51-jurisdiction coverage matrix

| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope / unresolved check | Primary source or candidate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | V | Current §17-5-16.1 reviewed:90-day election context, knowledge/intent and prescribed disclosure conditions. See Appendix A. | Appendix A below — direct sources and limitations. |
| Alaska | S | SB2 and SB33 displayed current status `(S) STA`, followed by JUD; status date January 22, 2025. Only introduced text was shown. SB33 concerns synthetic-media liability and elections. Proposed candidates; no enactment displayed in the inspected records. | [SB2](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/34?Root=SB%202); [SB33](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/34?Root=SB%2033) |
| Arizona | V | Current §16-1024 disclosure rule distinct from §16-1023 impersonation relief; do not conflate90-day and180-day rules. See Appendix A. | Appendix A below — direct sources and limitations. |
| Arkansas | S | SB611 displayed notification that it became Act900, dated April 21, 2025. The act text concerns amendments to the Social Media Safety Act and protections for minors. Enacted, but this inspected act does not establish a blanket AI-publication disclosure mandate. | [Bill and status](https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=SB611&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R); [Act900](https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FACT900.pdf) |
| California | V | Provider law operative Aug 2 2026; commercial synthetic-performer SB1050 enacted, expected Jan 1 2027. Election enforcement not verified. | [Official source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB1050) |
| Colorado | V | HB24-1147 election law verified, effective July1 2024; 60-day primary/90-day general window, prescribed disclosure defense and metadata. SB26-189 signed May14 2026 summary verified; current chatbot/transition text unresolved. | [Signed election act](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/41277/download); [2026 AI regime](https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb26-189) |
| Connecticut | S | HB5342 current official history stops Apr20 2026 tabled for House calendar; no public-act entry shown. Candidate not verified as enacted. | [Official source](https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/CGABillStatus/cgabillstatus.asp?bill_num=HB5342&selBillType=Bill&which_year=2026) |
| Delaware | V | Current §5145 verified;90-day election context and prescribed disclosure exception. Paid-broadcaster temporary exemption expired Oct9 2025. See Appendix A. | Appendix A below — direct sources and limitations. |
| District of Columbia | S | Current §1–1001.05, Board of Elections—Duties, was inspected; searches within that page found no AI, deepfake, or synthetic-media match. Candidate screened; this page does not establish an AI-label rule. No broader absence inference. | [Current code section](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/1-1001.05) |
| Florida | V | Current 2026 section106.145: political GenAI depiction of a real person plus intent to injure a candidate or deceive about a ballot issue; prescribed disclaimer and mandatory format verified. | [Official source](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100-0199/0106/Sections/0106.145.html) |
| Georgia | C | Candidate public PDF API was blocked in browser and failed through web access. A second candidate document was not reviewed. Unresolved/inaccessible. Neither enactment nor failure of HB478 was established from primary final status. | [Blocked candidate](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/232639); [Unreviewed candidate](https://legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/248169) |
| Hawaii | V | Act191 final text/enactment reviewed; Jan30 2026 injunction and later stay/appeal clearance unresolved. Do not treat as an unqualified enforceable duty. See Appendix A. | Appendix A below — direct sources and limitations. |
| Idaho | V | §67-6628A and definitions reviewed:30-day primary/60-day general election window and disclosure defense. See Appendix A. | Appendix A below — direct sources and limitations. |
| Illinois | S | HB3021 chatbot-disclosure proposal: last action Apr17 2026 re-referred Rules Committee; not enacted on displayed history. Other laws not cleared. | [Official source](https://witnessslips.ilga.gov/ftp/legislation/104/BillStatus/HTML/10400HB3021.html) |
| Indiana | V | Enacted HEA1133/PL81 source reviewed; original SB7 was not the enacted law. Subsequent2026 amendments remain unverified. See Appendix A. | Appendix A below — direct sources and limitations. |
| Iowa | C | Both www and non-www legislature hosts failed DNS in browser. HF2204, General Assembly 91, could not be resolved. Other candidates SF2318/90 and HSB294/91 were not resolved. Unresolved/inaccessible; no final disposition established. | [HF2204 candidate](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ba=HF2204&ga=91) |
| Kansas | S | HB2313 displayed governor approval April 8, 2025, logged April 10. Its title addresses DeepSeek/foreign-controlled AI on state-owned devices and networks, and foreign genetic sequencers. Enacted but outside ordinary public-content labeling. Other candidates HB2679 and SB531 remain unresolved. | [HB2313 official record](https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2313/) |
| Kentucky | V | 2025 ch66: candidate may obtain court-ordered disclosure of qualifying electioneering synthetic media in 45-day window; media exemptions. | [Official source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/25RS/documents/0066.pdf) |
| Louisiana | S | Act806 enactment/date verified; conflicting intermediate accounts mean final operative wording requires reconciliation. No definitive rule implemented. See Appendix A. | Appendix A below — direct sources and limitations. |
| Maine | C | Bot/election candidate full operative source remains incomplete. See Appendix B. | Appendix B below — direct sources and limitations. |
| Maryland | V | 2026 ch444 effective Jun 1 2026: targeted criminal election-deepfake prohibition; news/satire/platform exceptions. A generic label is not universal permission. | [Official source](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/chapters_noln/Ch_444_sb0141E.pdf) |
| Massachusetts | S | H76 substituted H5093; replacement passed House, last Feb12 2026 referred Senate Ways and Means. No enactment shown. | [Official source](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5093) |
| Michigan | V | MCL169.259: paid political AI image/audio/video disclosures, effective Feb 13 2024; mandatory format/timing and media/parody exceptions. Separate harmful-deepfake ban. | [Official source](https://legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-169-259) |
| Minnesota | V | 609.771 targeted election-influence deepfake prohibition; knowledge/consent/time-window conditions. No general commercial-content label established. | [Official source](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/609.771) |
| Mississippi | C | Introduced SB2642 does not establish final enactment or current operative law; unresolved. See Appendix A. | Appendix A below — direct sources and limitations. |
| Missouri | S | SB1012 official current status: Voted Do Not Pass H Emerging Issues. Proposal cannot establish a current disclosure duty. | [Official source](https://www.senate.mo.gov/BillTracking/Bills/BillInformation?billid=469&year=2026) |
| Montana | S | Sept16 2026 preliminary injunction protects named plaintiffs only; operative Act text and later docket remain incomplete. See Appendix B. | Appendix B below — direct sources and limitations. |
| Nebraska | S | LB615, prohibiting distribution of deepfakes under the Nebraska Political Accountability and Disclosure Act, displayed indefinite postponement April 17, 2026, after carryover January 7, 2026. Candidate indefinitely postponed; do not present it as enacted law. | [LB615 official record](https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59674) |
| Nevada | C | Enactment and Jan1 2026 effective date verified; final operative content incomplete. See Appendix B. | Appendix B below — direct sources and limitations. |
| New Hampshire | V | 664:14-c synthetic-media election disclosures; routine enhancement/satire/media exceptions. Exact current wording must be used. | [Official source](https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/LXIII/664/664-14-c.htm) |
| New Jersey | S | A4730 latest displayed action Mar16 2026 referred Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee; not enacted on shown history. | [Official source](https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A4730) |
| New Mexico | V | 2024 HB182 final act: materially deceptive synthetic election media rule, disclaimer pathway and format, broadcasting/news exceptions. | [Official source](https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/24%20Regular/final/HB0182.pdf) |
| New York | V | GBS396-b commercial-ad producer actual-knowledge disclosure; excludes audio ads, translation-only and consistent expressive-work promotion; transmitting media exempt. | [Official source](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GBS/396-B) |
| North Carolina | S | H1161 last May4 2026 Appropriations referral, if favorable Rules; no enactment shown. | [Official source](https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H1161) |
| North Dakota | V | HB1167 narrow political impersonation disclaimer verified; no election window stated in reviewed text. See Appendix B. | Appendix B below — direct sources and limitations. |
| Ohio | S | HB813 official progress: introduced House only; committee/passage/Senate/governor stages incomplete. Proposal not law. | [Official source](https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb813) |
| Oklahoma | S | A January 16, 2026 Senate announcement introduced SB1521 child/chatbot protections. Inspected bill history showed House passage April 28, House engrossment/signature April 29, and Senate reading of House amendments April 29, 2026. No governor, enrolled, or chapter signal was found in that inspected history. Proposal with advanced legislative activity; completed enactment not established. Displayed history stopped at amendments reading. | [Senate announcement](https://www.oksenate.gov/press-releases/senator-hamilton-introduces-bills-protect-oklahomans-foreign-land-ownership); [SB1521 history](https://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=SB1521&Session=2600) |
| Oregon | V | 260.268 campaign synthetic-media disclosure; technology-assisted realistic false appearance/speech/conduct; satire/media/platform exceptions. | [Official source](https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors260.html) |
| Pennsylvania | S | The inspected HB1463 page concerned smoke alarms. Last displayed action was House Housing and Community Development referral May 14, 2025. Earlier search candidates were general acts/testimony material. Irrelevant search match; no AI-law conclusion supported by this candidate. | [HB1463 official record](https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hb1463) |
| Rhode Island | V | Chapter409 enacted July2 2025;90-day election rule with prescribed disclosure exception. See Appendix B. | Appendix B below — direct sources and limitations. |
| South Carolina | S | 3517 history stops Jan14 2025 House Judiciary referral; no passage/approval shown. Prospective effect sentence in proposal is not enactment. | [Official source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/3517.htm) |
| South Dakota | V | 90-day election prohibition with intent element and prescribed disclosure defense. See Appendix B. | Appendix B below — direct sources and limitations. |
| Tennessee | C | HB1299 candidate concerns intimate imagery, not verified election disclosure law; replacement/current provisions incomplete. See Appendix B. | Appendix B below — direct sources and limitations. |
| Texas | V | 255.004(c): deceptive deepfake video election offense in 30-day window; labeling alone is not stated as a general defense. | [Official source](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/EL/htm/EL.255.htm#255.004) |
| Utah | V | 13-77-103 current eff May 7 2025: consumer-transaction AI disclosure on clear request; proactive regulated-profession high-risk disclosure before interaction. | [Official source](https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title13/Chapter77/13-77-S103.html) |
| Vermont | V | Act75 signed Mar 5 2026: election deepfake disclaimer requirements in 90-day window. Court/enforcement status not independently verified. | [Official source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT075/ACT075%20As%20Enacted.pdf) |
| Virginia | C | SB141 current LIS interface was blocked twice. An official March 11/12 conference agenda mentioned SB141, but final enactment or veto was not observed. SB365 and HB635 were not resolved. Unresolved/inaccessible; no final legal disposition established. | [SB141 candidate](https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB141) |
| Washington | V | 42.62.020: candidate civil remedy for knowing/reckless election synthetic media; prominent prescribed disclaimer is statutory defense, format-specific. | [Official source](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=42.62.020) |
| West Virginia | S | HB4496 history displayed only introduction/referrals, with last action House Judiciary January 19, 2026. Current §3-8-2b separately concerned ordinary electioneering expenditure/contributor reporting. HB4496 proposal with no enactment displayed. The inspected code candidate does not establish a synthetic-content label rule. | [HB4496 history](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4496&year=2026&sessiontype=RS); [§3-8-2b](https://code.wvlegislature.gov/3-8-2B/) |
| Wisconsin | V | 2023 Act123: paid political AI audio/video electioneering disclaimer; synthetic-media definition and exclusions. Not a general ad law. | [Official source](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2023/related/acts/123) |
| Wyoming | S | HB0102, Protecting kids from deepfakes and exploitative images, displayed chapter91, adoption March 7, 2026, and effective date July 1, 2026. Official summary/body addressed criminal synthetic sexual/AI harms, AI not being a defense to crimes, and developer immunity exceptions. Enacted but context-specific criminal protections; do not convert it into a blanket ordinary-content label mandate. | [HB0102 official record](https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2026/HB0102) |

## Corrections to the legacy site

File reviewed: work/site/dist/index.html. These line references describe the existing copy as read; no site edits were made by this agent.

- Lines7,10,21 and390–410 broadly advertise coverage of “US state laws.” Qualify coverage by the actual ledger; an asset-only three-step flow cannot resolve 51 jurisdiction-specific service, election, commercial, professional, likeness and timing rules.
- Lines506–508 and1217: replace the blanket New York reach claim with producer/creator, actual-knowledge and synthetic-performer conditions plus audio, translation and expressive-work exceptions. Cite the current statute instead of relying only on the governor's announcement.
- Lines704,730–733: remove the assertion that EU, NY and platforms universally agree every invented human in an ad requires disclosure. Their scopes and exceptions differ.
- Lines481/518/827: retain AB853 date correction and add the newly enacted SB1050 as a future commercial-ad requirement with its audio scope and defined exemptions.
- Lines566,1054–1055,1287 and1488: avoid “disclosure is the legal minimum” as a blanket statement for real-person likeness or voice. Separate applicable disclosure rules, consent/licensing rights, exceptions and election prohibitions. Consent and disclosure answer different questions.
- Add separate screening questions for political/election communications and conversational AI consumer/professional services. Each result needs jurisdiction, role, medium, election window, statute-specific wording/timing and exceptions.
- Do not treat this draft's C rows as “no disclosure required.” Display an unresolved jurisdiction check until the operative source is verified.

## Remaining limits

Seven C jurisdictions retain unresolved relevant source coverage: Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, Tennessee and Virginia. S rows document verified candidate status or court evidence; they do not certify complete operative coverage. Louisiana final operative wording needs reconciliation. Indiana later amendments, Hawaii later injunction/stay proceedings and Montana later docket changes remain unchecked. All-state publicity/voice, defamation, privacy, sector-specific rules and intimate-image laws were not exhaustively surveyed. No row certifies absence of applicable law.


## Supplemental checks completed before handoff

**Florida — verified current 2026 text:** Section106.145 requires the prescribed disclaimer when listed political communications contain GenAI content apparently depicting a real person doing something that did not occur, with intent to injure a candidate or deceive about a ballot issue. Format requirements include persistent readable video text at least4% of picture height, bold12-point print, internet visibility without user action and intelligible3-second audio wording. This does not apply to every AI political asset merely because it contains AI.

**New York AI companions — verified current text:** GBS1702 requires operators to give clear/conspicuous verbal or written not-human notice at the beginning of an AI-companion interaction (need not exceed once per day) and every three hours of continuing interaction. Source: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GBS/1702. Scope is the defined AI-companion service, not a generic caption on static AI content; definitions and commencement were not separately exhausted in this supplemental check.

**California companion chatbots — verified enacted operative text:** SB243 chapter677, signed/filed October13 2025, adds BPC22602. Subdivision(a) requires a not-human notice if a reasonable user would be misled into believing the companion chatbot is human. For a known minor, subdivision(c) requires AI disclosure and default three-hour reminders to take a break and that the chatbot is artificial. Annual reporting has a distinct July1 2027 start; do not use that as the start of the basic disclosure provision. Source: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB243. Ordinary January1 2026 commencement follows the constitutional default, not an express commencement sentence in that act.

**Eight additional official bill dispositions verified:** Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina matrix rows now distinguish unpassed/failed proposals from enacted rules. These checks resolve those candidate bills only; they do not prove the absence of every relevant law in those jurisdictions. Illinois's candidate specifically concerns conversational chatbot consumer transactions, so its proposal must not be described as current law.

**Remaining source-access limitations:** Iowa's located bill-book host did not resolve; Virginia's legislative UI was blocked by the browser. Colorado's signed SB26-189 PDF is11MB and could not be parsed through the available web reader; the official enacted status and January1 2027 consequential-decision summary were verified, but current chatbot and transitional provisions were not. Maine's candidate commercial-chatbot provision returned404 as HTML and PDF. These are unresolved checks, not negative legal conclusions.

**Voice/likeness limit:** No separate exhaustive 51-jurisdiction personality/voice-rights survey was completed. Do not extrapolate a universal consent or AI-labeling rule from this election/commercial/conversation screen. Tennessee ELVIS Act candidate-source access and other personality-rights statutes remain for a separate primary-law check; labeling does not by itself resolve licensing, privacy, defamation, contract or deceptive-practice liability.

**New York living-person voice/likeness — verified primary text:** Civil Rights Law50 prohibits using a living person's name, portrait, picture, likeness or voice for advertising or trade without prior written consent (parent/guardian for a minor). Source: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVR/50. This is an example of a context-specific consent rule, independent of synthetic-performer disclosure. Other statutory/judicial exceptions and all-state personality rights were not exhaustively analyzed.

**Colorado election law — verified signed primary act:** HB24-1147 was signed May24 2024 and effective July1 2024, adding CRS1-46-103. It addresses knowing/reckless electioneering synthetic depictions of a candidate's nonexistent statement/conduct within60 days of a primary or90 days of a general election. A prescribed disclosure is a defense; visual text must meet a largest-font requirement, and audio disclosures occur at the start/end plus at intervals no longer than one minute for recordings over two minutes. Metadata must also carry disclosure, AI-tool identity and creation time/date, with permanence to the extent feasible. Media, platform and satire/parody exemptions are specified. Source: https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/41277/download. This election-law verification does not resolve the separate2026 consequential-decision/chatbot transition.


# Appendix B: supplementary legacy/state review

# State-law legacy supplement — 11 October 2026

Narrow supplemental review of ME, MT, NV, ND, RI, SD and TN election candidates. **V** = described rule's primary operative text verified; **S** = special court/status treatment; **C** = candidate/incomplete verification, not an implemented legal conclusion. V does not mean the state's entire legal system or all subsequent litigation has been searched. No shared audit/site edits.

| State | Status | Verified disposition |
|---|---|---|
| Maine | C | Supplied introduced-bill PDF and bot §1500-DD alternate not fully verified in this supplement. Do not present candidate as enacted election/bot duty or imply no applicable law. |
| Montana | S | Actual September 16, 2026 preliminary injunction verified visually; relief protects named plaintiffs only. Matrix §13-35-214 URL is unrelated illegal-influence law, not synthetic-media authority. Correct statute text/effective date remains incomplete. |
| Nevada | C | Official overview confirms AB73 governor approval June 3, 2025, chapter224, effective January 1, 2026. Final enrolled operative text not obtained; defer trigger/disclosure/exception implementation. |
| North Dakota | V | Final enrolled HB1167 text and official signed/passed status verified. Political-purpose human likeness/voice impersonation requires prominent prescribed AI disclaimer; no election-day window in text. Effective date not independently established here. |
| Rhode Island | V | Chapter409 enacted July2,2025, effective upon passage. Specified campaign actors/independent-expenditure entities distributing deceptive/fraudulent synthetic candidate media within90 days face prohibition unless prescribed disclosure; exceptions and remedies verified. |
| South Dakota | V | §§12-26-33,34,35,36,37 read in current official code. Ninety-day intent-to-injure candidate deepfake prohibition; disclosure defense and satire/media/intermediary exceptions. Calendar effective date and full §32 definition not independently reviewed. |
| Tennessee | C | Supplied HB1299 is intimate/deepfake-likeness candidate, not election-disclosure authority. Official page confirms companion SB1346 became chapter466, effective July1,2025. Correct election law not independently located; do not export intimate-media bill into election rule. |

## Montana: precise court treatment

[Original matrix §13-35-214](https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0130/chapter_0350/part_0020/section_0140/0130-0350-0020-0140.html) was read in actual browser. It is illegal influence of voters and cites amendments ending2013; it does not substantiate a2025 AI campaign statute. Adjacent §13-35-207 likewise concerns registration/nomination/election-record falsehoods, not the synthetic-media candidate.

[Primary court order](https://hlli.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Acct-in-State-Govt-v.-Knudsen.31.Order-granting-PI.pdf), Accountability in State Government and Dan Bartel v Austin Knudsen et al., District of Montana, **6:26-cv-00038-SPW, Document31, filed September16,2026**. Downloaded from litigation counsel's link; MarkItDown extracted only docket headers because body is scanned. Rendered and visually read pages39–40 rather than pretending machine extraction captured the ruling.

Page39 expressly limits preliminary relief to named plaintiffs and declines universal relief/nonparty protection. Page40 grants the motion and enjoins Austin Knudsen, Kevin Downs and Commissioner Chris Gallus from reviewing, investigating, prosecuting, adjudicating or enforcing the Act against named plaintiffs. Judge Susan P. Watters dated it September16,2026. September17 is the counsel news-release date, not the judicial order date. **No later stay/appeal/modification docket independently reviewed**; do not describe statute as statewide void or every publisher immune. Underlying full statute, exact trigger/window/exceptions and calendar effective date remain unverified here.

## North Dakota: narrow verified rule

[Official HB1167 status](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/bill-overview/bo1167.html) says passed, governor signed April11,2025 and filed with Secretary of State April11. From its Versions tab, downloaded [final enrolled25.0529.05000](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/documents/25-0529-05000.pdf) and read all operative text with MarkItDown.

The new Chapter16.1-10 section covers actions for political purpose, including support/opposition to candidate, political committee/party and passage/defeat of initiated/referred measures or petitions, where AI-created whole/partial digital content visually or audibly impersonates a human. It prominently requires **“THIS CONTENT GENERATED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.”** Sole AI text generation, grammar, spelling, stylistic editing or enhancement without new human likeness/voice impersonation are excluded. No90/60/30-day window appears in the enacted text. The PDF does not establish a calendar effective date; do not infer one from governor signature. Later litigation/current codification not separately checked.

## Rhode Island: prohibition with disclosure exception

[2025 chapter409/H5872 substituteA](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws/law25/law25409.htm) read full official HTML. Header says enacted **July2,2025**; section2 says effective upon passage.

Section17-30-1 covers candidate including incumbent/current officeholder. Synthetic-media definition requires realistic false digital depiction, with the reasonable-observer and fundamentally-different-understanding conditions. The90-day prohibition applies to candidate, authorized campaign committee, PAC, party committee or independent-expenditure person/entity who knows or should know media is deceptive/fraudulent; **not every ordinary commercial AI publisher**.

Disclosure exception: state image was manipulated/generated by AI. Visual notice readable and no smaller than largest other text; if none, readable size; video throughout duration. Audio-only notice clearly spoken at beginning/end and intervals no more than2 minutes for longer audio. Candidate injunctive/equitable relief and general/special damages, possible prevailing-party fees; clear-and-convincing evidence burden. Section17-30-3 exempts specified broadcast/mobile/streaming actors with actor-condition limits, qualifying news/commentary with clear inauthenticity notice, satire/parody, interactive computer services; security/investigation safeguards. Preserve all qualifications; generic caption is not universal permission. Later court docket not reviewed.

## South Dakota: intent,90-day window and prescribed defense

Read current official [§12-26-33](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-26-33), [§34](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-26-34), [§35](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-26-35), [§36](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-26-36), [§37](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-26-37). Each cites SL2025 chapter68.

No person, with intent to injure candidate, may disseminate/contract to disseminate deepfake within90 days of election if they know/reasonably should know it is deepfake and it lacks §37 disclosure. Violation Class1 misdemeanor. Section37 prescribes an affirmative-defense notice identifying the image/video/audio as AI manipulated or generated. Exact literal notice is intentionally not transcribed here because tool display compressed function words; copy the actual statute when implementing. Image/video notice easily readable, no smaller than largest other text, superimposed over each deepfake; audio notice clearly spoken/heard beginning and end.

§34 exceptions: satire/parody; qualifying bona fide broadcast news with authenticity acknowledgement; paid broadcaster publication; paid general-interest news/commentary publication; merely technical/automatic/intermediate internet service roles. §35 permits AG/injured-or-likely-injured candidate/depicted individual equitable relief. §36 damages/costs/fees to candidate/depicted individual; knowing use proven clear/convincing. Not a general advertising AI-disclosure mandate. Full statutory deepfake definition in §32 and calendar effective date were not read; preserve this explicit limit and do not invent dates.

## Nevada: enactment verified, final content incomplete

[Official NELIS AB73 overview](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/83rd2025/Bill/AB73/Overview) actual populated main-content text says governor approved **June3,2025**, **chapter224**, **effective January1,2026**. It lists introduced/reprint/enrolled versions. “As Enrolled” link download timed out; original matrix linked introduced AB73 PDF, which must not substitute for final law. Search snippets/AI overview were used only to locate official overview, not to verify trigger/window/notices/exceptions. Keep C for implementation until final operative law read.

## Tennessee: incorrect election candidate

[Official HB1299/SB1346 overview](https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=HB1299&ga=114) lists unauthorized actual/deepfake likeness legislation amending Titles28/39, with companion **chapter466**, page-recorded **effective July1,2025**. Original HB1299 PDF is not the final chaptered authority. Official page links [chapter466](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0466.pdf), not read in this supplement. Election-law trigger/window/disclosure/prohibition/exceptions remain C; do not claim Tennessee has no election AI duties merely because this candidate is wrong.

## Maine / bot reference

[Matrix introduced Maine bill](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?item=1&paper=HP1154&snum=132) and §1500-DD candidate remain unverified here. No successful full enacted primary text/status observation, alternate bot-code lookup or court review completed. C means incomplete research, not absence of law or a proposed-law conclusion.

## Implementation guidance

Political-use context belongs in a focused routing note rather than applying these rules to all commercial ads. Exact jurisdiction/actor/intent/window/notice requirements differ. A V label identifies the verified narrow rule above; it does not certify every exception, later amendment, injunction or user scenario. MT requires its named-plaintiff preliminary-injunction warning. Missing effective dates stay missing. Further primary verification remains for ME, NV enrolled operative text, TN correct election statute, MT full statute/later docket, ND calendar effective date and SD definition/effective date.


# Appendix A: eight-state primary-source supplement

# Eight-state primary-source supplement

Research cutoff: October 11, 2026. This supplements the state-law audit; it is not a litigation clearance. **V** means relevant official statutory/enacted text was observed; **S** means official enactment/status was observed but the operative text remains incomplete; **C** means insufficiently verified. None of these statuses establishes present enforceability by itself.

| State | Evidence | Principal correction and operational limit |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | V | §17-5-16.1 requires a combination of knowledge, election timing and deceptive intent; it is not a general AI-label requirement. |
| Arizona | V | SB1359's original §16-1023 is now §16-1024. Current §16-1023 is a separate digital-impersonation remedy. |
| Delaware | V | HS1/HB316, 84 Del Laws ch487; the previously supplied legislationId=141223 links to insurance legislation. An original broadcaster exception expired. |
| Hawaii | V; court limit | Act191 text verified; credible January 30, 2026 injunction candidate requires court/status clearance before presenting it as enforceable. |
| Idaho | V | Synthetic audio/video electioneering rule, with a 30-day primary/60-day general definition and material exclusions. |
| Indiana | V; current-code limit | HEA1133/P.L.81-2024, not merely introduced SB7. Enrolled text verified; independent 2026 chapter/amendment verification incomplete. |
| Louisiana | S with enacted text retrieval | Official 2026 HB459 Act806 status and final-document link observed. Treat as a 2026 enactment requiring final-text reconciliation, not a 2024 bill. See qualified note below. |
| Mississippi | C | SB2642 introduced text alone does not establish enactment. Final bill history/enrolled text not verified. |

## Alabama

Official current code: https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama?section=17-5-16.1 . The section cites Act2024-349. Exact original effective day was not separately established.

The prohibition involves realistic AI false depiction, knowledge of falsity, distribution within **90 days before an election**, intent to harm a candidate's reputation/electoral prospects and intent to deceive voters into changing voting patterns, with the statute's likelihood conditions. Disclosure is an exception, not an unconditional obligation for every AI-assisted publication. Sufficient sample: “This media has been manipulated by technical means and depicts speech or conduct that did not occur.” Video disclosure must persist throughout; audio at beginning/end; image readable/visible; same-language requirements apply. Edited existing material also requires original-source attribution. First violation is Class A misdemeanor; qualifying repeat within five years Class D felony. Injunctive remedies and conditional media defenses exist. The parody exclusion is narrow, involving impersonation substantially dependent on human performance rather than AI/technology.

## Arizona

Enacted act: https://azleg.gov/legtext/56leg/2R/laws/0199.htm . Current provision: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/16/01024.htm . Official general effective dates: https://www.azleg.gov/general-effective-dates/ . SB1359/ch199 was approved May29,2024; the 2024 regular-session general effective date was September14,2024.

Current §16-1024 addresses creation and distribution of a known deceptive/fraudulent candidate deepfake within **90 days before an election** in which that candidate appears on the ballot, unless clearly and conspicuously disclosed as AI-generated. The definition includes intent to harm reputation and deception of a reasonable person. It includes AI or other digital technology, and excludes the technology provider from creator status. Satire/parody and §230 interactive services have exceptions. The civil penalty is cross-referenced to §16-937(B); this supplement does not independently establish its amount.

Current https://www.azleg.gov/ars/16/01023.htm is a distinct digital-impersonation declaratory-relief provision. Do not apply the 90-day rule to every remedy there; it has different consent, disclosure, limitation-period and preliminary-relief conditions.

## Delaware

Current code: https://delcode.delaware.gov/title15/c051/sc02/index.html#5145 . Session law: https://legis.delaware.gov/SessionLaws?volume=84&chapter=487 . HS1/HB316, as amended, was approved October9,2024. No separate delayed effective clause was identified.

§5145 addresses knowing or reasonably-should-know distribution of a deepfake without depicted-person consent within **90 days before an election**. The definition concerns candidate/political-party depiction with intent to harm reputation or deceive voters, including digital manipulation beyond AI. Disclosure defense: “This (image/video/audio) has been altered or artificially generated.” Visual text must be readable and at least as large as other largest text; video throughout; audio beginning/end and at intervals of no more than two minutes when longer than two minutes. News reporting with authentication caveats, satire/parody and provider defenses apply. Criminal classification and expedited candidate civil remedies vary by intent and repeat offense. The paid-broadcaster defense in original (d)(2) expired after one year; current code marks it repealed. Do not reproduce it as a current exemption.

## Hawaii

Official status: https://capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billnumber=2687&billtype=SB&year=2024 . Final text: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2024/bills/SB2687_CD1_.HTM . SB2687/Act191 was approved July3,2024 and effective upon approval.

The enacted prohibition covers reckless distribution of materially deceptive advertisements from the **first working day of February in an even year through the following general election**, with the statutory reckless disregard of reputation/electoral harm or voter-behavior change. Realistic false depiction can use AI or other digital technology. Disclosure must explain technical manipulation and that the depicted speech, appearance or conduct never occurred: video throughout, visual largest-text and same-language rules, audio beginning/end; original-source citations when existing media are edited. Media/provider defenses and civil/criminal remedies are conditional.

**Enforceability gap:** research identified Babylon Bee v. Lopez, case1:24-cv-00487-JAO-RT, January30,2026 order, reportedly invalidating/enjoining §11-410. Court-authored PDF candidate: https://adflegal.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/babylon-bee-v-lopez-2026-01-30-opinion.pdf . Full opinion and current appeal/stay status were not successfully reviewed. The host is a litigant, not the court. The tool should display a court-status warning and withhold an affirmative currently-enforceable result pending resolution.

## Idaho

Official status: https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2024/legislation/h0664/ . Current rule: https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title67/t67ch66/sect67-6628a/ . Electioneering definition: https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title67/T67CH66/SECT67-6602 . HB664/ch172 signed and effective March25,2024.

§67-6628A covers realistic fundamentally misleading synthetic **audio/video**, with candidate injunctive/damages actions against information-content providers and clear-and-convincing proof. Disclosure affirmative defense: “This (video/audio) has been manipulated”; video readable throughout; audio beginning/end and two-minute intervals for longer audio. The electioneering definition supplies **30 days before a primary/60 days before a general election**, candidate/audience conditions and exclusions, including communications constituting chapter-defined expenditures/independent expenditures. Do not universalize this as a label mandate for all paid campaign ads. News, regular-course business/member communications and distributors/providers have conditional protections; removing disclosures or creating synthetic content can change liability.

## Indiana

Official status: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/house/1133/ . Enrolled text: https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/123/2024/house/bills/HB1133/HB1133.06.ENRS.pdf . HEA1133/P.L.81-2024 was signed March12,2024; emergency/effective-upon-passage provisions make that the operative enactment date. SB7 was only introduced and is not sufficient authority.

IC3-9-8 concerns campaign communications with fabricated media depicting a candidate, including incumbents. The enrolled act supplies **no 30/60/90-day limit**. Payer must add a separate disclosure: “Elements of this media have been digitally altered or artificially generated.” Print cross-references IC3-9-3-2.5(e); video continuously displays it; audio beginning/end and every two minutes when longer than two minutes, at least as loud as the loudest audio. Candidate civil actions reach payer/sponsor and distributors who knowingly/intentionally/recklessly remove or alter the disclosure; actual damages, injunction, costs and fees require the statutory proof conditions. No standalone criminal penalty appears in the added chapter. Current2026 title retrieval timed out, so amendments after the verified enrolled act remain unverified. A courts legislative-update summary incorrectly prints March12,2023; official2024 bill status controls.

## Louisiana — final reconciliation required

Official status: https://legis.la.gov/LEGIS/BillInfo.aspx?i=250271 . Final document index: https://legis.la.gov/LEGIS/BillDocs.aspx?i=250271&t=text . Final **Act806** PDF: https://legis.la.gov/LEGIS/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1481244 . The status page identifies **2026 HB459**, signed June9,2026 and effective August1,2026. The candidate must not be labeled a 2024 act.

Final-text retrieval was inconsistent: the final PDF downloaded, but repeated extraction produced access errors or unrecoverable compressed placeholders. Interim accounts conflicted about whether new Subsection F broadly covers AI-generated political content or specifically AI-falsified electioneering depictions, and about whether it prescribes exact wording/timing or cross-references existing Subsection E. **Do not use either interim account as production guidance.** Record enactment as verified and operative rule details as requiring reconciliation with the linked final PDF.

The accessible code snapshot https://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=81432 stops its act history at2022; it is not reliable evidence that Act806 is absent. Existing E includes clear third-party identification; visual/oral announcements audible and visible at least three seconds; digital identification at least smallest-text size or a distinct heading with reasonable contrast. Whether/how new F incorporates E must be verified from Act806 before generating disclosure instructions. Neither a blanket 60-day AI rule nor standardized full-duration/two-minute wording should be asserted from this supplement.

## Mississippi — insufficient verification

Candidate introduced text: http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2025/html/SB/2600-2699/SB2642IN.htm . Introduced text is not enacted authority. Official final bill history, enrolled version, approval/effective date and current codified rule were not verified. Do not mark Mississippi as an operative disclosure-law match based on this introduced link; retain a clearly labeled research gap until final official status/text are obtained.

## Implementation implications

Store separate fields for source type, enactment/effective date, text verification, litigation status, trigger/window, media type, exact statutory wording, format and exceptions. Keep draft/introduction evidence out of the effective-law result. Display unresolved court/current-code/final-text gaps directly on the relevant state row. Avoid a single national disclosure template: these acts differ in covered content, intent, timing, remedy and label placement.

Skipped checks/risks: comprehensive appellate/stay searches, post-enactment amendment search for every state, Alabama exact original effective day, Arizona penalty cross-reference, Indiana2026 chapter, Louisiana final-text reconciliation, and Mississippi final disposition remain incomplete. V is source-text evidence, not a promise of current enforceability.


# Appendix C: final candidate-status screening

# U.S. state candidate screening — supplement C

Reviewed October 11, 2026. This bounded supplement records observed official text or displayed legislative status for 12 assigned jurisdictions. It is not an exhaustive survey and does not establish that a jurisdiction has no other relevant law. An introduced bill is not an enacted requirement. Displayed history may be incomplete; no independent injunction investigation was performed.

| Jurisdiction | Observed primary-source result | Classification and relevance | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | SB2 and SB33 displayed current status `(S) STA`, followed by JUD; status date January 22, 2025. Only introduced text was shown. SB33 concerns synthetic-media liability and elections. | Proposed candidates; no enactment displayed in the inspected records. | [SB2](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/34?Root=SB%202); [SB33](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/34?Root=SB%2033) |
| Arkansas | SB611 displayed notification that it became Act900, dated April 21, 2025. The act text concerns amendments to the Social Media Safety Act and protections for minors. | Enacted, but this inspected act does not establish a blanket AI-publication disclosure mandate. | [Bill and status](https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=SB611&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R); [Act900](https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FACT900.pdf) |
| District of Columbia | Current §1–1001.05, Board of Elections—Duties, was inspected; searches within that page found no AI, deepfake, or synthetic-media match. | Candidate screened; this page does not establish an AI-label rule. No broader absence inference. | [Current code section](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/1-1001.05) |
| Georgia | Candidate public PDF API was blocked in browser and failed through web access. A second candidate document was not reviewed. | Unresolved/inaccessible. Neither enactment nor failure of HB478 was established from primary final status. | [Blocked candidate](https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/232639); [Unreviewed candidate](https://legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/248169) |
| Iowa | Both www and non-www legislature hosts failed DNS in browser. HF2204, General Assembly 91, could not be resolved. Other candidates SF2318/90 and HSB294/91 were not resolved. | Unresolved/inaccessible; no final disposition established. | [HF2204 candidate](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ba=HF2204&ga=91) |
| Kansas | HB2313 displayed governor approval April 8, 2025, logged April 10. Its title addresses DeepSeek/foreign-controlled AI on state-owned devices and networks, and foreign genetic sequencers. | Enacted but outside ordinary public-content labeling. Other candidates HB2679 and SB531 remain unresolved. | [HB2313 official record](https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2313/) |
| Nebraska | LB615, prohibiting distribution of deepfakes under the Nebraska Political Accountability and Disclosure Act, displayed indefinite postponement April 17, 2026, after carryover January 7, 2026. | Candidate indefinitely postponed; do not present it as enacted law. | [LB615 official record](https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59674) |
| Oklahoma | A January 16, 2026 Senate announcement introduced SB1521 child/chatbot protections. Inspected bill history showed House passage April 28, House engrossment/signature April 29, and Senate reading of House amendments April 29, 2026. No governor, enrolled, or chapter signal was found in that inspected history. | Proposal with advanced legislative activity; completed enactment not established. Displayed history stopped at amendments reading. | [Senate announcement](https://www.oksenate.gov/press-releases/senator-hamilton-introduces-bills-protect-oklahomans-foreign-land-ownership); [SB1521 history](https://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=SB1521&Session=2600) |
| Pennsylvania | The inspected HB1463 page concerned smoke alarms. Last displayed action was House Housing and Community Development referral May 14, 2025. Earlier search candidates were general acts/testimony material. | Irrelevant search match; no AI-law conclusion supported by this candidate. | [HB1463 official record](https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hb1463) |
| Virginia | SB141 current LIS interface was blocked twice. An official March 11/12 conference agenda mentioned SB141, but final enactment or veto was not observed. SB365 and HB635 were not resolved. | Unresolved/inaccessible; no final legal disposition established. | [SB141 candidate](https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB141) |
| West Virginia | HB4496 history displayed only introduction/referrals, with last action House Judiciary January 19, 2026. Current §3-8-2b separately concerned ordinary electioneering expenditure/contributor reporting. | HB4496 proposal with no enactment displayed. The inspected code candidate does not establish a synthetic-content label rule. | [HB4496 history](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=4496&year=2026&sessiontype=RS); [§3-8-2b](https://code.wvlegislature.gov/3-8-2B/) |
| Wyoming | HB0102, Protecting kids from deepfakes and exploitative images, displayed chapter91, adoption March 7, 2026, and effective date July 1, 2026. Official summary/body addressed criminal synthetic sexual/AI harms, AI not being a defense to crimes, and developer immunity exceptions. | Enacted but context-specific criminal protections; do not convert it into a blanket ordinary-content label mandate. | [HB0102 official record](https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2026/HB0102) |

## Integration guidance

Use Arkansas, Kansas, and Wyoming only with their inspected subject-matter limitations. Keep Alaska, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and West Virginia candidate status distinct from enforceable disclosure requirements. Keep Georgia, Iowa, and Virginia visibly unresolved. Remove Pennsylvania HB1463 and DC §1–1001.05 as supporting evidence for an established AI-label requirement. This supplement does not replace the main ledger or certify any jurisdiction as free of relevant obligations.