HB 504

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1Political Advertising Modifications
                                        2026 GENERAL SESSION
                                              STATE OF UTAH
                                  Chief Sponsor: Rosalba Dominguez
                                                Senate Sponsor:
2
3   LONG TITLE
4   General Description:
5This bill addresses the use of artificial intelligence in printed political advertisements.
6   Highlighted Provisions:
7This bill:
8▸ requires a printed political advertisement that includes AI-generated content to include a
9   clear disclosure indicating the use of AI; and
10▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
11   Money Appropriated in this Bill:
12None
13   Other Special Clauses:
14None
15   Utah Code Sections Affected:
16   AMENDS:
1720A-11-1104, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 172
18
19   Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
20Section 1. Section 20A-11-1104 is amended to read:
2120A-11-1104 . Disclosure of synthetic media.
22   (1) As used in this section:
23(a) "Artificial intelligence" means a machine-based system that can, for a given set of
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24human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations, or decisions
25influencing real or virtual environments.
26(b)(i) "Creator" means a person that uses artificial intelligence to generate synthetic
27media.
28(ii) "Creator" does not include a person that solely provides the technology used in
29the creation of the synthetic media.
30(c) "Digital content provenance" means purely factual information that:
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31(i) details a digital resource's creator, origin, context, history, and editing process; and
32(ii) conforms to an open industry technical standard.
33      (d) "Generative artificial intelligence" means artificial intelligence technology that is
34capable of creating content such as text, audio, image, or video based on patterns
35learned from large volumes of data rather than being explicitly programmed with
36rules.
37      (e) "Print communication" means a communication that is distributed in a physical,
38printed format, including a mailer, flyer, newspaper advertisement, magazine,
39handbill, or brochure.
40      [(e)] (f) "Sponsor" means a person that pays for the content that uses artificial
41intelligence to generate synthetic media.
42      [(f)] (g) "Synthetic audio media" means audio content that was substantially produced by
43generative artificial intelligence.
44      (h) "Synthetic media" means:
45(i) synthetic audio media; or
46(ii) synthetic visual media.
47      [(g)] (i) "Synthetic visual media" means an image or video that was substantially
48produced by generative artificial intelligence.
49  (2) This section applies to an [audio or visual communication] audio, visual, or print
50      communication that:
51      (a) is paid for by a candidate campaign committee, political action committee, political
52issues committee, political party, or a person using a contribution; and
53      (b) is intended to influence voting for or against a candidate or ballot proposition in an
54election or primary in the state[; and] .
55      [(c) contains synthetic media.]
56  (3) An audio communication described in Subsection (2) that contains synthetic audio
57      media shall include audibly at the beginning and end of the communication the words[,] :
58      "Contains content generated by AI."
59  (4) A visual communication described in Subsection (2) that contains synthetic media shall
60      display throughout the duration of each portion of the communication containing
61      synthetic media, in legible writing, the words:
62      (a) "This video content generated by AI," if the content is a video that includes synthetic
63visual media but not synthetic audio media;
64      (b) "This image generated by AI," if the content is an image that includes synthetic
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65visual media but not synthetic audio media;
66(c) "This audio content generated by AI," if the video includes synthetic audio media but
67not synthetic visual media; or
68(d) "This content generated by AI," if the communication includes both synthetic audio
69media and synthetic visual media.
70   (5) A print communication described in Subsection (2) that contains synthetic visual media
71shall include, in a clear and conspicuous manner on the face of the communication, the
72words: "This advertisement includes visual content generated by AI."
73   [(5)] (6) In addition to the requirements in Subsections (3) and (4), a creator or sponsor who
74publishes an online digital audio or visual communication described in Subsection (2)
75that is viewable, audible, or accessible in the state shall ensure the advertisement carries
76embedded tamper-evident digital content provenance that discloses:
77(a) the initial author and creator of the content;
78(b) any subsequent entities that edited, altered, or otherwise modified the content; and
79(c) any use of generative artificial intelligence in generating or modifying the
80substantive content.
81   [(6)] (7)(a) In a civil action brought against the creator or the sponsor of content that
82includes synthetic media by a person to enforce this section, the court may impose a
83civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 against a person for each violation of this section
84that the court finds a person has committed.
85(b) Compliance with this section does not exempt a person from civil or criminal
86liability for violations of other applicable law.
87Section 2. Effective Date.
88   This bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.
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