Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06846 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
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3		-	LCO 1 of 6
	3	+	LCO No. 3775 1 of 6
4	4
5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 6846
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6846
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 3775
	8	+
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
	11	+	AND ELECTIONS
	12	+
	13	+
	14	+	Introduced by:
	15	+	(GAE)
7	16
8	17
9	18
10		-	~~AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE~~
11		-	~~AND OTHER MEANS TO GENERATE~~ DECEPTIVE ~~SYNTHETIC MEDIA~~
12		-	AND ~~AFFECT~~ ELECTIONS.
	19	+
	20	+	AN ACT CONCERNING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, DECEPTIVE
	21	+	SYNTHETIC MEDIA AND ELECTIONS.
13	22		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
14	23		Assembly convened:
15	24
16	25		Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) As used in this section: 1
17	26		(1) "Artificial intelligence" means a machine-based system that (A) 2
18	27		can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, 3
19	28		recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments, 4
20	29		and (B) uses machine and human-based inputs to (i) perceive real and 5
21	30		virtual environments, (ii) abstract such perceptions into models through 6
22	31		analysis in an automated manner, and (iii) formulate options for 7
23	32		information or action through model inference; 8
24	33		(2) "Candidate" means any individual who seeks nomination for 9
25	34		election, or election, to public office whether or not such individual is 10
26	35		elected; 11
27	36		(3) "Deceptive synthetic media" means any image, audio or video of 12
28	37		an individual, and any representation of such individual's appearance, 13
	38	+	Raised Bill No. 6846
	39	+
	40	+
	41	+
	42	+	LCO No. 3775 2 of 6
	43	+
29	44		speech or conduct that is substantially derived from any such image, 14
30	45		audio or video, which (A) a reasonable person would believe depicts the 15
31	46		appearance, speech or conduct of such individual when such individual 16
32		-	did not in fact appear as depicted or engage in such speech or conduct, 17 Substitute Bill No. 6846
33		-
34		-
35		-	LCO 2 of 6
36		-
	47	+	did not in fact appear as depicted or engage in such speech or conduct, 17
37	48		and (B) was generated, in whole or in part, through the use of artificial 18
38	49		intelligence or other means; 19
39	50		(4) "Election" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-1 of the 20
40	51		general statutes; 21
41	52		(5) "Individual" means a human being; 22
42	53		(6) "Person" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-601 of the 23
43	54		general statutes; and 24
44	55		(7) "Primary" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-372 of 25
45	56		the general statutes. 26
46	57		(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, no person shall 27
47	58		distribute, or enter into any agreement to distribute, a communication 28
48	59		containing any image, audio or video of an individual during the 29
49	60		ninety-day period preceding any election or primary if: 30
50	61		(1) Such person knows or should reasonably know that such image, 31
51	62		audio or video is deceptive synthetic media; 32
52	63		(2) The communication containing such deceptive synthetic media is 33
53	64		distributed without the consent of such individual; and 34
54	65		(3) Such distribution is intended to injure a candidate or influence the 35
55	66		result of such election or primary. 36
56	67		(c) A person may distribute, or enter into an agreement to distribute, 37
57	68		a communication containing deceptive synthetic media during the 38
58	69		ninety-day period preceding a primary or election if: 39
59	70		(1) For such deceptive synthetic media that: 40
	71	+	Raised Bill No. 6846
	72	+
	73	+
	74	+
	75	+	LCO No. 3775 3 of 6
	76	+
60	77		(A) Is an image or consists only of an image, (i) a disclaimer stating 41
61	78		"This communication contains an image that has been manipulated" or 42
62	79		"This image has been manipulated", as applicable, appears in text that is 43
63	80		clearly visible to and easily readable by the average viewer and is not 44
64		-	smaller than the largest font size of any other text appearing in such 45 Substitute Bill No. 6846
65		-
66		-
67		-	LCO 3 of 6
68		-
	81	+	smaller than the largest font size of any other text appearing in such 45
69	82		communication, and (ii) in the case of any such image that was 46
70	83		generated by editing or manipulating an existing image, a citation 47
71	84		directing such viewer to the original source from which the unedited or 48
72	85		unmanipulated version of such existing image was obtained; 49
73	86		(B) Consists only of audio, (i) a disclaimer stating "This 50
74	87		communication contains audio that has been manipulated" is read in a 51
75	88		clearly spoken manner, in a pitch that can be easily heard by the average 52
76	89		listener and in the same language as the deceptive synthetic media and 53
77	90		any other language such person should reasonably expect such listener 54
78		-	to speak or understand, and which disclaimer is read at the ~~beginning~~ 55
79		-	of such communication, at the end of such communication ~~and, if such~~ 56
80		-	communication is greater than one minute in length, ~~interspersed~~ 57
81		-	within such communication at not less frequently than ~~thirty-second~~ 58
82		-	intervals, and (ii) in the case of any such audio that was ~~generated by~~ 59
83		-	editing or manipulating existing audio, a citation directing ~~such listener~~ 60
84		-	to the original source from which the unedited or ~~unmanipulated~~ 61
85		-	version of such existing audio was obtained; or 62
	91	+	to speak or understand, and which disclaimer shall be so read at the 55
	92	+	beginning of such communication, at the end of such communication 56
	93	+	and, if such communication is greater than one minute in length, 57
	94	+	interspersed within such communication at not less frequently than 58
	95	+	thirty-second intervals, and (ii) in the case of any such audio that was 59
	96	+	generated by editing or manipulating existing audio, a citation directing 60
	97	+	such listener to the original source from which the unedited or 61
	98	+	unmanipulated version of such existing audio was obtained; or 62
86	99		(C) Is a video, (i) a disclaimer stating "This communication contains 63
87	100		video that has been manipulated" appears in text that is clearly visible 64
88	101		to and easily readable by the average viewer, is not smaller than the 65
89	102		largest font size of any other text appearing in such communication and 66
90	103		is in the same language as the deceptive synthetic media and any other 67
91	104		language such person should reasonably expect such viewer to speak or 68
92		-	understand, and which disclaimer ~~appears~~ for the duration of such 69
	105	+	understand, and which disclaimer shall appear for the duration of such 69
93	106		communication, and (ii) in the case of any such video that was generated 70
94	107		by editing or manipulating an existing video, a citation directing such 71
95	108		viewer to the original source from which the unedited or 72
96	109		unmanipulated version of such existing video was obtained; or 73
	110	+	Raised Bill No. 6846
	111	+
	112	+
	113	+
	114	+	LCO No. 3775 4 of 6
	115	+
97	116		(2) Such person is: 74
98	117		(A) A radio station or television station, whether broadcast, cable or 75
99	118		satellite and including, but not limited to, any producer or programmer 76
100		-	or any certified competitive video service provider, community antenna 77 Substitute Bill No. 6846
101		-
102		-
103		-	LCO 4 of 6
104		-
	119	+	or any certified competitive video service provider, community antenna 77
105	120		television company, holder of a certificate of cable franchise authority 78
106	121		or holder of a certificate of video franchise authority, as those terms are 79
107	122		defined in section 16-1 of the general statutes, that (i) broadcasts such 80
108	123		communication containing deceptive synthetic media as part of a bona 81
109	124		fide newscast, news interview, news documentary or other on-the-spot 82
110	125		coverage of bona fide news events, (ii) (I) retains the disclaimer upon 83
111	126		such communication required under subdivision (1) of this subsection, 84
112	127		or (II) except in the case of any such on-the-spot coverage, adds such a 85
113	128		disclaimer at the time of such broadcast if such communication did not 86
114	129		previously include such a disclaimer, and (iii) except in the case of any 87
115	130		such on-the-spot coverage for which such person does not have reason 88
116	131		to believe that such communication contains deceptive synthetic media, 89
117	132		clearly states in the content of such broadcast that such communication 90
118	133		contains deceptive synthetic media; or 91
119	134		(B) An Internet web site or regularly published newspaper, magazine 92
120	135		or other periodical of general circulation, including, but not limited to, 93
121	136		any regularly published periodical of general circulation that is 94
122	137		published electronically or on the Internet, that (i) publishes such 95
123	138		communication containing deceptive synthetic media as part of such 96
124	139		person's routine carriage of news and commentary of general interest, 97
125	140		(ii) (I) retains the disclaimer upon such communication required under 98
126	141		subdivision (1) of this subsection, or (II) adds such a disclaimer at the 99
127	142		time of such publication if such communication did not previously 100
128	143		include such a disclaimer, and (iii) clearly states in the content of such 101
129	144		publication that such communication contains deceptive synthetic 102
130	145		media. 103
131	146		(d) (1) Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be 104
132	147		guilty of a class C misdemeanor, except that: 105
	148	+	Raised Bill No. 6846
	149	+
	150	+
	151	+
	152	+	LCO No. 3775 5 of 6
	153	+
133	154		(A) If such violation was committed with the intent to cause violence 106
134	155		or bodily harm, or to distribute deceptive synthetic media to an 107
135	156		audience and such audience exceeds ten thousand individuals, such 108
136		-	person shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor; and 109 Substitute Bill No. 6846
137		-
138		-
139		-	LCO 5 of 6
140		-
	157	+	person shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor; and 109
141	158		(B) If such violation was committed less than five years after a prior 110
142	159		conviction under this section, such person shall be guilty of a class D 111
143	160		felony. 112
144	161		(2) Any penalty imposed under subdivision (1) of this subsection 113
145	162		shall be in addition to any injunctive or other equitable relief or any 114
146	163		general or special damages ordered under subsection (e) of this section. 115
147	164		(e) (1) (A) The Attorney General, an individual described in 116
148	165		subsection (b) of this section, or a candidate who has been or is likely to 117
149	166		be injured by the distribution of a communication containing deceptive 118
150	167		synthetic media in violation of the provisions of this section, may 119
151	168		commence a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction seeking to 120
152	169		permanently enjoin any person whose violation of the provisions of this 121
153	170		section is reasonably believed to be imminent, or who is in the course of 122
154	171		violating the provisions of this section, and other equitable relief. 123
155	172		(B) An individual described in subsection (b) of this section, or a 124
156	173		candidate who has been injured by the distribution of a communication 125
157	174		containing deceptive synthetic media in violation of the provisions of 126
158	175		this section, may commence a civil action in a court of competent 127
159	176		jurisdiction seeking to recover general or special damages resulting 128
160	177		from such distribution. 129
161	178		(2) In any civil action commenced under subdivision (1) of this 130
162	179		subsection, the plaintiff shall bear the burden of proving by clear and 131
163	180		convincing evidence that the defendant distributed, or will imminently 132
164	181		distribute, a communication containing deceptive synthetic media in 133
165	182		violation of the provisions of this section. 134
166	183		(3) Any party, other than the Attorney General, who prevails in a civil 135
	184	+	Raised Bill No. 6846
	185	+
	186	+
	187	+
	188	+	LCO No. 3775 6 of 6
	189	+
167	190		action commenced under subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be 136
168	191		awarded reasonable attorney's fees and costs to be taxed by the court. 137
169	192		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
170	193		sections:
171		-	Substitute Bill No. 6846
172		-
173		-
174		-	LCO 6 of 6
175	194
176	195		Section 1 July 1, 2025 New section
177	196
178		-	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
179		-	The title was changed.
	197	+	Statement of Purpose:
	198	+	To prohibit distribution of certain deceptive synthetic media within the
	199	+	ninety-day period preceding an election or primary.
180	200
181		-	GAE Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
	201	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	202	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	203	+	underlined.]
182	204