House Bill No. [insert number] amends existing Louisiana law regarding prohibited political materials, specifically addressing the distribution of manipulated images, audio, or video of candidates with the intent to deceive voters or harm a candidate's reputation. The bill introduces new provisions that define "digital material" and outlines the conditions under which such materials can be distributed. It establishes that no person may distribute or transmit any manipulated content of a known candidate unless it is clearly identified as commentary, criticism, satire, or parody. Additionally, media entities that do not control the content are exempt from these prohibitions.

The bill also enhances the penalties for violations, increasing the maximum fine from two thousand to ten thousand dollars for each instance of violation, and allows for imprisonment of up to two years. It provides affected candidates or voters the right to seek injunctions against future violations. The legislation aims to protect the electoral process by ensuring that voters are not misled by false representations of candidates, thereby promoting fair and ethical elections in Louisiana.

Statutes affected:
HB154 Original: 18:1463(A)
HB154 Engrossed: 18:1463(A)
HB154 Reengrossed: 18:1463(A)
HB154 Enrolled: 18:1463(A)