House Bill Would Set Fines Up to $50,000 for Unlabeled AI Political Ads

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The proposal would require separate disclosures for AI political ads containing AI-created or materially altered images, audio, or video.

 

The AI Transparency in Elections Act of 2026 would let the Federal Election Commission (FEC) fine people or groups that pay for AI political ads up to $50,000 per ad if they omit a required disclosure.

Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.) introduced H.R. 9922 on July 23, along with Reps. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Norma Torres (D-Calif.), and Julie Johnson (D-Texas). The House referred the bill to the Committee on House Administration.

Bill would cover federal political advertising

The bill would apply to paid political advertising across broadcast, print, outdoor, mail, phone, and digital platforms.

It would cover ads that expressly support or oppose a candidate, solicit political contributions, or refer to a candidate during the period starting 120 days before a primary and ending on the general election date. Using a candidate’s voice or likeness would count as referring to that candidate.

The person or group paying for the ad would be responsible for including the disclosure.

Minor AI edits would be excluded

The requirement would apply when generative AI creates or materially alters an image, audio clip, or video.

The bill would exclude minor changes such as cosmetic adjustments, color edits, cropping, or resizing when they do not give a fundamentally different understanding of the original media.

Disclosure formats depend on the medium

The required disclosure would change with the type of content:

  • Images: The statement must say the ad was created or materially altered by AI. It must be permanently attached and use letters at least as large as most of the other text, unless it satisfies existing federal political-ad disclaimer rules.
  • Audio: A clearly audible statement must run for at least four seconds at the beginning or end of the ad. It must identify the person or group that paid and say they used AI to generate the content.
  • Video with audio: The written disclosure must remain on screen throughout the video, and the ad must also include the spoken statement required for audio.

FEC would set the penalty schedule

The FEC would set penalties based on factors including previous violations and how widely an ad was distributed. Each violation could carry a civil penalty of up to $50,000 per covered ad.

The requirements would apply to communications distributed after the bill becomes law. They would take effect even if the commission had not finished writing its regulations. The agency would have 90 days after enactment to issue those rules in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

H.R. 9922 remains in the House Administration Committee and has not received a vote as yet.