This bill establishes the crime of fraudulent use of deepfakes, which involves creating, distributing, or presenting media that digitally alters a person's appearance, voice, or actions with the intent to cause harm such as embarrassment, harassment, defamation, extortion, or financial or reputational damage. It classifies such an offense as a class B felony and provides for additional penalties if the deepfake results in an arrest, including liability for legal expenses. The bill also creates a civil cause of action for individuals harmed by deepfakes, allowing them to sue for damages. Certain exemptions are included, such as for interactive computer services, media entities reporting on deepfakes as part of bona fide news, entities paid to broadcast election communications with disclaimers, and media that constitutes satire or parody without relying on artificial intelligence.

Additionally, the bill prohibits the registration of lobbyists who have been convicted of the fraudulent use of deepfakes or found liable in civil actions related to their lobbying activities. The bill includes severability clauses for both the criminal and civil provisions, ensuring that if any part of the sections is found invalid, the remaining provisions will still be enforceable. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2025. There are no specific insertions or deletions from the current law indicated in the provided text.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 15:1
As Amended by the House: 15:1
As Amended by the Senate: 15:1
Version adopted by both bodies: 15:1
CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION: 15:1