WHAT THIS BILL REGULATES · 1 REQUIREMENT TYPE
How Is This Bill Enforced
Verbatim statutory text on the left; plain-language analysis and a per-section checklist on the right. Numbered markers cross-link to the matching checklist row.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "election content accountability act".
Section 1 establishes the short title of the act as the Election Content Accountability Act. It creates no compliance obligations.
(a)(i) "Provenance dataProvenance data"Provenance data" means data that records the origin or history of digital content and is communicated as a content credential pursuant to the Technical Specification for Content Credentials published by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, and which discloses: (1) information about the origin or creation of the content; (2) any subsequent editing or modification to the content or its metadata; and (3) any use of generative artificial intelligence in generating or modifying the content. "Provenance data" does not include personal information as defined in subdivision five of section two hundred two of the state technology law or a unique device, system, or service information that is reasonably capable of being associated with a particular user, including but not limited to an internet protocol address.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(i)" means data that records the origin or history of digital content and is communicated as a content credential pursuant to the Technical Specification for Content Credentials published by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, and which discloses: (1) information about the origin or creation of the content; (2) any subsequent editing or modification to the content or its metadata; and (3) any use of generative artificial intelligence in generating or modifying the content. "Provenance dataProvenance data"Provenance data" means data that records the origin or history of digital content and is communicated as a content credential pursuant to the Technical Specification for Content Credentials published by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, and which discloses: (1) information about the origin or creation of the content; (2) any subsequent editing or modification to the content or its metadata; and (3) any use of generative artificial intelligence in generating or modifying the content. "Provenance data" does not include personal information as defined in subdivision five of section two hundred two of the state technology law or a unique device, system, or service information that is reasonably capable of being associated with a particular user, including but not limited to an internet protocol address.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(i)" does not include personal information as defined in subdivision five of section two hundred two of the state technology law or a unique device, system, or service information that is reasonably capable of being associated with a particular user, including but not limited to an internet protocol address.
(a)(ii) "Generative artificial intelligence systemGenerative artificial intelligence system"Generative artificial intelligence system" means a class of AI model that is self-supervised and emulates the structure and characteristics of input data in order to generate derived synthetic content, including, but not limited to, images, videos, audio, text, and other digital content.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(ii)" means a class of AI modelAI model"AI model" means an information system or a component of an information system that implements artificial intelligence technology and uses computational, statistical, or machine-learning techniques to produce outputs from a given set of inputs.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(iv) that is self-supervised and emulates the structure and characteristics of input data in order to generate derived synthetic contentSynthetic content"Synthetic content" means audio, images or videos that have been produced or significantly modified by a generative artificial intelligence system.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(iii), including, but not limited to, images, videos, audio, text, and other digital content.
(a)(iii) "Synthetic contentSynthetic content"Synthetic content" means audio, images or videos that have been produced or significantly modified by a generative artificial intelligence system.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(iii)" means audio, images or videos that have been produced or significantly modified by a generative artificial intelligence systemGenerative artificial intelligence system"Generative artificial intelligence system" means a class of AI model that is self-supervised and emulates the structure and characteristics of input data in order to generate derived synthetic content, including, but not limited to, images, videos, audio, text, and other digital content.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(ii).
(a)(iv) "AI modelAI model"AI model" means an information system or a component of an information system that implements artificial intelligence technology and uses computational, statistical, or machine-learning techniques to produce outputs from a given set of inputs.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(iv)" means an information system or a component of an information system that implements artificial intelligence technology and uses computational, statistical, or machine-learning techniques to produce outputs from a given set of inputs.
(a)(v) "Generative artificial intelligence providerGenerative artificial intelligence provider"Generative artificial intelligence provider" means an organization or individual that creates, codes, substantially modifies, or otherwise produces a generative artificial intelligence system that is made publicly available for use by a New York resident, regardless of whether the terms of such use include compensation.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(v)" means an organization or individual that creates, codes, substantially modifies, or otherwise produces a generative artificial intelligence systemGenerative artificial intelligence system"Generative artificial intelligence system" means a class of AI model that is self-supervised and emulates the structure and characteristics of input data in order to generate derived synthetic content, including, but not limited to, images, videos, audio, text, and other digital content.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(ii) that is made publicly available for use by a New York resident, regardless of whether the terms of such use include compensation.
Subdivision 8(a) introduces five defined terms that scope the bill's provenance data requirements. Provenance data is tied specifically to the C2PA Content Credentials standard. Synthetic content is defined as audio, images, or videos produced or significantly modified by a generative AI system, and the generative artificial intelligence provider definition captures any organization or individual that creates or substantially modifies a generative AI system available to New York residents. The definitions section creates no independent compliance obligations.
(b) 1 Commencing with the two thousand thirty election cycle, a campaign for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, or comptroller shall apply provenance dataProvenance data"Provenance data" means data that records the origin or history of digital content and is communicated as a content credential pursuant to the Technical Specification for Content Credentials published by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, and which discloses: (1) information about the origin or creation of the content; (2) any subsequent editing or modification to the content or its metadata; and (3) any use of generative artificial intelligence in generating or modifying the content. "Provenance data" does not include personal information as defined in subdivision five of section two hundred two of the state technology law or a unique device, system, or service information that is reasonably capable of being associated with a particular user, including but not limited to an internet protocol address.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(i), either directly or through the use of third-party technology, to all political communications distributed or published by the campaign that are produced as or include images or videos.
(c) 1 The application of provenance dataProvenance data"Provenance data" means data that records the origin or history of digital content and is communicated as a content credential pursuant to the Technical Specification for Content Credentials published by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, and which discloses: (1) information about the origin or creation of the content; (2) any subsequent editing or modification to the content or its metadata; and (3) any use of generative artificial intelligence in generating or modifying the content. "Provenance data" does not include personal information as defined in subdivision five of section two hundred two of the state technology law or a unique device, system, or service information that is reasonably capable of being associated with a particular user, including but not limited to an internet protocol address.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(i) to political communications, as required by this subdivision, shall, at a minimum, communicate the following provenance dataProvenance data"Provenance data" means data that records the origin or history of digital content and is communicated as a content credential pursuant to the Technical Specification for Content Credentials published by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, and which discloses: (1) information about the origin or creation of the content; (2) any subsequent editing or modification to the content or its metadata; and (3) any use of generative artificial intelligence in generating or modifying the content. "Provenance data" does not include personal information as defined in subdivision five of section two hundred two of the state technology law or a unique device, system, or service information that is reasonably capable of being associated with a particular user, including but not limited to an internet protocol address.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(i): (i) The type of device, system, or service that was used to generate the audio or audios, image or images, and/or video or videos within or comprising the political communication; (ii) The specific portions of the political communication that are synthetic contentSynthetic content"Synthetic content" means audio, images or videos that have been produced or significantly modified by a generative artificial intelligence system.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(iii), if any; (iii) Whether the content was created or edited using artificial intelligence; (iv) The name of the generative artificial intelligence providerGenerative artificial intelligence provider"Generative artificial intelligence provider" means an organization or individual that creates, codes, substantially modifies, or otherwise produces a generative artificial intelligence system that is made publicly available for use by a New York resident, regardless of whether the terms of such use include compensation.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(v) used to generate the synthetic contentSynthetic content"Synthetic content" means audio, images or videos that have been produced or significantly modified by a generative artificial intelligence system.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(iii), if any; and (v) The time and date any of the provenance dataProvenance data"Provenance data" means data that records the origin or history of digital content and is communicated as a content credential pursuant to the Technical Specification for Content Credentials published by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, and which discloses: (1) information about the origin or creation of the content; (2) any subsequent editing or modification to the content or its metadata; and (3) any use of generative artificial intelligence in generating or modifying the content. "Provenance data" does not include personal information as defined in subdivision five of section two hundred two of the state technology law or a unique device, system, or service information that is reasonably capable of being associated with a particular user, including but not limited to an internet protocol address.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(i) delineated in this paragraph was applied.
Subdivisions (b) and (c) impose the bill's core operative obligation: beginning with the 2030 election cycle, campaigns for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, or Comptroller must embed C2PA-standard provenance data in all political communications distributed or published by the campaign that include images or videos. The provenance data must disclose the type of device, system, or service used to generate the content; identify any synthetic content portions; indicate whether AI was used to create or edit the content; name the generative AI provider if applicable; and include a timestamp for when provenance data was applied.
The obligation falls on the campaign itself — not on generative AI providers or platforms — and may be satisfied through third-party technology. These subdivisions sunset on December 31, 2030, making the requirement effectively a single-cycle pilot.
(d) If a violation of this section is intentional or is the result of grossly negligent conduct, a penalty shall be assessed by the attorney general of up to one hundred thousand dollars for each violation. If a violation of this section is unintentional or is not the result of grossly negligent conduct, a penalty shall be assessed by the attorney general of up to fifty thousand dollars for each violation.
Subdivision (d) establishes a two-tier penalty structure enforced by the Attorney General. Intentional or grossly negligent violations are subject to penalties of up to $100,000 per violation. Unintentional violations that are not grossly negligent are subject to penalties of up to $50,000 per violation. No private right of action is created.
The attorney general may promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary to effectuate and enforce the provisions of subdivision 8 of section 14-106 of the election law, including identifying acceptable methods, formats, and third party technologies for campaigns for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, or comptroller to use to apply provenance dataProvenance data"Provenance data" means data that records the origin or history of digital content and is communicated as a content credential pursuant to the Technical Specification for Content Credentials published by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, and which discloses: (1) information about the origin or creation of the content; (2) any subsequent editing or modification to the content or its metadata; and (3) any use of generative artificial intelligence in generating or modifying the content. "Provenance data" does not include personal information as defined in subdivision five of section two hundred two of the state technology law or a unique device, system, or service information that is reasonably capable of being associated with a particular user, including but not limited to an internet protocol address.Election Law § 14-106(8)(a)(i) to political communication pursuant to such subdivision.
Section 3 grants the Attorney General authority to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to effectuate and enforce the provenance data requirements, including identifying acceptable methods, formats, and third-party technologies that campaigns may use. This is a delegation of rulemaking authority, not an obligation on regulated parties.
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law and paragraphs (b) and (c) of subdivision 8 of section 14-106 of the election law, as added by section two of this act, shall expire and be deemed repealed on December 31, 2030.
Section 4 provides that the act takes effect on the 180th day after becoming law. It also includes a sunset clause: paragraphs (b) and (c) of subdivision 8 — the core provenance data obligations on campaigns — expire and are deemed repealed on December 31, 2030. The definitions in paragraph (a) and the penalty provision in paragraph (d) are not subject to the sunset and would remain in the election law after 2030, though they would have no operative effect without paragraphs (b) and (c).