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SB42 • 2026

CRIME/PUNISHMENT: Prohibits using artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse materials. (8/1/26)

CRIME/PUNISHMENT: Prohibits using artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse materials. (8/1/26)

Children Crime Technology
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Rick Edmonds
Last action
2026-05-21
Official status
Pending in Conference Committee (Senate) - Sched. for 5/27/26
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included claims about new definitions for 'child' and 'produce', which are partially supported by the official source. The exact penalties or enforcement mechanisms were not specified in the provided official text.

Prohibits Using AI to Make Child Sexual Abuse Materials

This bill makes it illegal to use artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse materials.

What This Bill Does

  • Expands the definition of 'child' in relation to child sexual abuse materials to include images or visual representations created by electronic or digital means, including AI, that are virtually indistinguishable from real children under 17 years old.
  • Expands the definition of 'produce' to include causing artificial intelligence to generate child sexual abuse materials.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who might use artificial intelligence to make images or videos showing children under 17 in a sexual way.
  • Law enforcement agencies and courts dealing with cases involving AI-generated child sexual abuse materials.

Terms To Know

Child Sexual Abuse Materials
Any photograph, video, film, or other reproduction that shows children under the age of 17 in a sexual way.
Produce
To make child sexual abuse materials by taking photos, videos, films, or using AI to generate them.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify penalties for breaking the new rules.
  • It is unclear how this law will be enforced and what resources will be provided for enforcement.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Plain English: HASBSB42 471 3485 SENATE SUMMARY OF HOUSE AMENDMENTS SB 42 2026 Regular Session Edmonds KEYWORD AND SUMMARY AS RETURNED TO THE SENATE CRIME/PUNISHMENT.

  • HASBSB42 471 3485 SENATE SUMMARY OF HOUSE AMENDMENTS SB 42 2026 Regular Session Edmonds KEYWORD AND SUMMARY AS RETURNED TO THE SENATE CRIME/PUNISHMENT.
  • Prohibit using artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse materials and provide a cause of action for damages to the child.
  • (8/1/26) SUMMARY OF HOUSE AMENDMENTS TO THE SENATE BILL 1.
  • Citation error in title.

Plain English: HFASB42 4883 5262 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Amedee to Reengrossed Senate Bill No.

  • HFASB42 4883 5262 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Amedee to Reengrossed Senate Bill No.
  • 42 by Senator Edmonds 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 2, after "R.S.
  • 14:81.1(B)(3) and" and before "relative to" delete "(9)," and 3 insert "(9) and to enact R.S.

Plain English: SFASB42 428 870 SENATE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senator Edmonds to Engrossed Senate Bill No.

  • SFASB42 428 870 SENATE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senator Edmonds to Engrossed Senate Bill No.
  • 42 by Senator Edmonds 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, delete lines 12 through 15, and insert the following: 3 "(3) "Child sexual abuse materials" is any photograph, videotape, film, or 4 other reproduction, whether electronic or otherwise undeveloped film, videotape, 5 or data stored on a computer disk or by electronic means that is capable of 6 conversion into a visual image, and also includes any photograph, film, video, 7 picture, digital image or picture, computer image or picture, or computer- 8 generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, 9 mechanical, or other means, of any sexual performance involving a child under the 10 age of seventeen.
  • For purposes of this Paragraph, "child" includes both a 11 natural person under the age of seventeen years and an image or other visual 12 representation of a child under the age of seventeen years that is created or 13 generated by electronic or digital means, including artificial intelligence, and 14 that, to a reasonable person, is a virtually indistinguishable depiction of a child 15 under the age of seventeen years." Page 1 of 1

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-21 S

    Senate conference committee members appointed: Edmonds, Cloud, and Hodges.

  2. 2026-05-19 S

    Notice House Conference Committee members appointed.

  3. 2026-05-19 H

    House conferees appointed: Bacala, Villio, and Schlegel.

  4. 2026-05-18 H

    Notice of Senate rejecting House amendments.

  5. 2026-05-18 S

    Amendments proposed by the House read and rejected by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays.

  6. 2026-05-11 S

    Received from the House with amendments.

  7. 2026-05-07 H

    Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 90, nays 0. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

  8. 2026-05-07 H

    Called from the calendar.

  9. 2026-05-07 H

    Motion to reconsider called from the table.

  10. 2026-05-07 H

    Rules suspended.

  11. 2026-05-07 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

  12. 2026-05-06 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 05/07/2026.

  13. 2026-05-05 H

    Read by title, passed to 3rd reading.

  14. 2026-04-29 H

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

  15. 2026-04-28 H

    Reported favorably (11-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  16. 2026-03-25 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

  17. 2026-03-24 H

    Received in the House from the Senate, read by title, lies over under the rules.

  18. 2026-03-23 S

    Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  19. 2026-03-11 S

    Read by title. Ordered engrossed and passed to third reading and final passage.

  20. 2026-03-10 S

    Reported favorably.

  21. 2026-03-09 S

    Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.

  22. 2026-02-10 S

    Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.

Official Summary Text

CRIME/PUNISHMENT: Prohibits using artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse materials. (8/1/26)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SLS 26RS-74 REENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 42
BY SENATOR EDMONDS
CRIME/PUNISHMENT. Prohibits using artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse
materials. (8/1/26)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 14:81.1(B)(3) and (9), relative to child sexual abuse materials;
3 to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse materials; to
4 provide relative to definitions; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 14:81.1(B)(3) and (9) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as
7 follows:
8 §81.1. Child sexual abuse materials
9 * * *
10 B. For purposes of this Section, the following definitions shall apply:
11 * * *
12 (3) "Child sexual abuse materials" is any photograph, videotape, film, or
13 other reproduction, whether electronic or otherwise undeveloped film, videotape,
14 or data stored on a computer disk or by electronic means that is capable of
15 conversion into a visual image, and also includes any photograph, film, video,
16 picture, digital image or picture, computer image or picture, or computer-
17 generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic,
Page 1 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
SB NO. 42
SLS 26RS-74 REENGROSSED
1 mechanical, or other means, of any sexual performance involving a child under the
2 age of seventeen. For purposes of this Paragraph, "child" includes both a
3 natural person under the age of seventeen years and an image or other visual
4 representation of a child under the age of seventeen years that is created or
5 generated by electronic or digital means, including artificial intelligence, and
6 that, to a reasonable person, is a virtually indistinguishable depiction of a child
7 under the age of seventeen years.
8 * * *
9 (9) "Produce" means to photograph, videotape, film, cause to be digitally
10 generated, including by artificial intelligence, or otherwise reproduce child sexual
11 abuse materials, or to solicit, promote, or coerce any child for the purpose of child
12 sexual abuse materials.
13 * * *
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Senate Legislative Services.
The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof
or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
DIGEST
SB 42 Reengrossed 2026 Regular Session Edmonds
Present law defines "child sexual abuse materials" as any photograph, videotape, film, or
other reproduction, whether electronic or otherwise, of any sexual performance involving
a child under the age of seventeen.
Proposed law provides that "child sexual abuse materials" also includes undeveloped film
or data stored on a computer disk or by electronic means that is capable of conversion into
a visual image, video, picture, digital image or picture, computer image or picture, or
computer-generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical,
or other means. Proposed law also provides that the definition of "child" for the purposes of
"child sexual abuse materials" includes both a natural person under the age of 17 years and
an image or other visual representation of a child under the age of 17 years that is created
or generated by electronic or digital means, including artificial intelligence and that to a
reasonable person are virtually indistinguishable depictions of a child under the age of 17
years.
Proposed law otherwise retains present law.
Present law defines "produce", in the context of child sexual abuse materials, as the
photographing, videotaping, filming, or otherwise reproducing child sexual abuse materials,
as well as soliciting, promoting, or coercing any child for the purpose of child sexual abuse
materials.
Proposed law provides that "produce" also includes causing artificial intelligence to generate
Page 2 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
SB NO. 42
SLS 26RS-74 REENGROSSED
child sexual abuse materials.
Proposed law otherwise retains present law.
Effective August 1, 2026.
(Amends R.S. 14:81.1(B)(3) and (9))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Senate Floor Amendments to engrossed bill
1. Expand the definition of "child sexual abuse materials".
Page 3 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.