House Bill 1513, also known as the "Transparency for Deepfakes in Political Advertising Act," amends Tennessee Code Annotated to establish clear guidelines for the disclosure of deepfake content in political communications. The bill introduces a new subdivision to Section 2-19-120(a), which mandates that any audio or video communication that qualifies as a deepfake—defined in 39-17-1902—must include specific disclaimers. For audio deepfakes impersonating a candidate, the communication must state at both the beginning and end that it contains fake content. For video deepfakes, the bill requires a prominent disclaimer throughout the video, indicating whether it depicts actions or speech that did not occur.

Additionally, the bill specifies that these requirements apply only to communications distributed within 120 days of an election for candidates who are not incumbents. It also provides protections for broadcasters and third-party producers, stating they are not liable unless they are responsible for the deepfake communication. Furthermore, candidates who are impersonated in such communications are entitled to damages and equitable relief, with certain exceptions noted in 39-17-1904. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2-19-120(a), 2-19-120