HB1513 • 2026

Election Laws

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, Chapter 19, relative to the Transparency for Deepfakes in Political Advertising Act.

Children Crime Elections Technology

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Zachary, Massey
Last action: 2026-03-30
Official status: Effective date(s) 07/01/2026
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Official source material did not specify the exact penalty for violations, only that it is a Class C misdemeanor.

Transparency for Deepfakes in Political Advertising Act

This law requires political advertisements that use deepfake technology to include clear disclaimers and sets penalties for violations.

What This Bill Does

Requires political ads with deepfake elements impersonating a candidate's speech or actions to have a disclaimer stating the content is fake.
Specifies that radio, TV stations, cable operators, streaming services are not responsible if they pay to broadcast such material without creating it themselves.
Allows candidates who are victims of deepfakes in political ads to sue for damages and other relief.

Who It Names or Affects

Political advertisers using deepfake technology
Broadcasters, hosts, third-party producers, and carriers of such communications

Terms To Know

Deepfake: A video or audio that uses artificial intelligence to make it look like someone is saying or doing something they did not actually say or do.
Class C misdemeanor: A minor criminal offense with a penalty of up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine.

Limits and Unknowns

The law only applies to political ads that use deepfake technology.
It does not cover all forms of misleading or false information in political advertising.

Amendments

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

HA0611

Amendment 1-0 to HB1513

Plain English: The amendment changes part of Tennessee's law about deepfakes in political advertising by adding protections for certain internet companies and broadcasters.

Adds protection from liability for internet service providers, search engines, cloud services, and other entities that provide access to websites or content containing deepfakes, as long as they did not create the deepfake.
Excludes radio and television stations, cable operators, and streaming services from this protection if they are paid to broadcast material with a deepfake.

The amendment text does not specify all details about how these protections will be applied or enforced.

SA0510

Amendment 1-0 to SB1624

Plain English: The amendment changes a part of Tennessee's law about deepfakes in political advertising by adding protection for certain internet companies from being held responsible if they provide access or connection to websites with deepfakes, as long as they did not create the deepfake.

Adds protection for broadcasters, hosts, third-party producers, internet service providers and their affiliates/subsidiaries, search engines, and cloud service providers from liability under certain conditions.

The exact scope of what 'certain conditions' means is not fully explained in the provided text.
It's unclear how this amendment will interact with other parts of Tennessee law or regulations.

Bill History

2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 07/01/2026
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 625
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 625
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for his action.
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0510)
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Received from House, Passed on First Consideration
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Companion House Bill substituted
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/12/2026
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., as am., Ayes 91, Nays 0, PNV 1
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0611)
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/9/2026
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Re-refer to S. Cal Comm
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/5/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/5/2026
2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate Reset on calendar for 3/5/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/26/2026
2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/24/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 2/17/2026
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 9, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1513, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 clarifies that a radio or television broadcasting station, cable or satellite television operator, streaming or other programming service is not liable under the bill when it is paid to broadcast material containing a deepfake, to the extent
such entity is not responsible for the creation of the deepfake.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1624
By Massey

HOUSE BILL 1513
By Zachary
HB1513
010690
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2,
Chapter 19, relative to the Transparency for
Deepfakes in Political Advertising Act.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the "Transparency for Deepfakes in
Political Advertising Act."
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-19-120(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(6)
(A) Such communication, when in audio form, if considered a deepfake
as defined in § 39-17-1902 and impersonating a candidate for elected office
engaging in speech in which the candidate did not in fact engage, shall clearly
state at the beginning and at the end of the communication:
This communication contains fake content impersonating speech
that did not occur.
(B) Such communication, when in video form, if considered a deepfake
as defined in § 39-17-1902 and depicting a candidate for elected office engaging
in action or speech in which the depicted candidate did not in fact engage, shall
clearly state in large letters for the duration of the video:
(i) If the communication includes only video media:
This communication contains fake content depicting
actions that did not occur.

- 2 - 010690

(ii) If the communication includes both audio and video media of a
candidate engaging in action or speech in which the candidate did not
engage:
This communication contains fake content depicting
actions and speech that did not occur.
(C) When the impersonated or depicted candidate is not an incumbent
office holder, subdivisions (a)(6)(A) and (a)(6)(B) apply only if the communication
is distributed within one hundred twenty (120) days of the initiation of voting in an
election in which the candidate for elected office appears on the ballot.
(D) A person or entity who is a broadcaster, host, third-party producer, or
carrier of such communication is not liable under this subdivision (a)(6) unless
the person or entity is responsible for the communication.
(E) An impersonated or depicted candidate for elected office who is the
subject of a deepfake communication as described in this subdivision (a)(6) is
entitled to damages and equitable relief as provided for in § 39-17-1904, with the
exception of § 39-17-1904(c).
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.