House Bill 291 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Juandalynn GivanRepresentative

Democrat

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Crimes and offenses; crime of distribution of materially deceptive media established, permanent injunctive relief authorized

Summary

HB291 would make distributing AI-generated, materially deceptive media a crime and allow permanent injunctions to stop its spread, effective October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

The bill makes the distribution of AI-generated media that falsely depicts a person and would mislead a reasonable viewer a crime. It also authorizes permanent injunctions against distributors when the media is deceptive, enforceable by the Attorney General or the person depicted. Penalties start as a Class A misdemeanor for the first violation and rise to a Class D felony for a second violation within five years, with several exceptions and required disclosures in certain cases.

Who It Affects

• Distributors/creators/sponsors/purchasers of materially deceptive AI-generated media (including platforms and publishers) who could face criminal penalties and be subject to permanent injunctions to stop distribution.
• Depicted individuals and the Attorney General (or other approved plaintiffs) who can seek permanent injunctive relief and may be awarded costs or attorney fees in some cases.

Key Provisions

• Defines key terms: artificial intelligence, creator, sponsor, depicted individual, and materially deceptive media.
• Prohibits distribution of materially deceptive media unless a disclaimer meets defined conditions tailored to video, audio, or image formats (or other specified disclosure requirements for edited content).
• Provides specific exemptions and defenses, including satire/parody, bona fide news coverage with clear authenticity questions, and certain non-editing distributors under particular circumstances.
• Allows permanent injunctive relief to stop distribution, with process for avoiding frivolous claims and potential sanctions or costs if a claim is found frivolous.
• Requires clear and convincing evidence that the distributor knew the media falsely represented the depicted individual for injunctive relief to be granted.
• Establishes penalties: Class A misdemeanor for the first offense; Class D felony for a second or subsequent conviction within five years.
• Effective date: October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Crimes & Offenses