Connecticut 2026 Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 18 D · 1 R cosponsors

HB 5342 — AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND OTHER MEANS TO GENERATE DECEPTIVE SYNTHETIC MEDIA AND AFFECT ELECTIONS.

Last action — TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 26, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 19 sponsors

    19 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (18 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

16 added · 237 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill HB 5342 eliminates several lines of administrative details and references to reporting from specific representatives. This change simplifies the bill by focusing on its core content and essential provisions, making it clearer for legislators and the public to understand its goals. Streamlining the language ensures that important information is not buried in unnecessary details, which can help facilitate better discussions and decision-making. This clarity could lead to a more engaged response from lawmakers and constituents alike.

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House of Representatives General Assembly File No.
General Assembly Substitute Bill No.
517 February Session, 2026 Substitute House Bill No.
5342 February Session, 2026 AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND OTHER MEANS TO GENERATE DECEPTIVE SYNTHETIC MEDIA AND AFFECT ELECTIONS.
5342 House of Representatives, April 8, 2026 The Committee on Government Administration and Elections reported through REP.
BLUMENTHAL of the 147th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND OTHER MEANS TO GENERATE DECEPTIVE SYNTHETIC MEDIA AND AFFECT ELECTIONS.
(3) "Election" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-1 of the sHB5342 / File No.
(3) "Election" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-1 of the general statutes;
517 1 sHB5342 File No.
517 general statutes;
and (6) "Primary" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-372 of the general statutes.
and LCO 1 of 7 Substitute Bill No.
5342 (6) "Primary" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-372 of the general statutes.
(A) Is an image or consists only of an image, (i) a disclaimer stating "This communication contains an image that has been manipulated" or "This image has been manipulated",asapplicable,or using substantially the same words, appears in text that is clearly visible to and easily readable by the average viewer, and (ii) in the case of any such image that was generated by editing or manipulating an existing image, a sHB5342 / File No.
(A) Is an image or consists only of an image, (i) a disclaimer stating "This communication contains an image that has been manipulated" or "This image has been manipulated",asapplicable,or using substantially the same words, appears in text that is clearly visible to and easily readable by the average viewer, and (ii) in the case of any such image that was generated by editing or manipulating an existing image, a citation directing such viewer to the original source from which the unedited or unmanipulated version of such existing image was obtained;
517 2 sHB5342 File No.
(B) Consists only of audio, (i) a disclaimer stating "This communication contains audio that has been manipulated", or using LCO 2 of 7 Substitute Bill No.
517 citation directing such viewer to the original source from which the unedited or unmanipulated version of such existing image was obtained;
5342 substantially the same words, is read in a clearly spoken manner, in a pitch that can be easily heard by the average listener and in the same language as the deceptive synthetic media and any other language such person should reasonably expect such listener to speak or understand, and which disclaimer is read at the beginning of such communication, at the end of such communication and, if such communication is greater than one minute in length, interspersed within such communication at not less frequently than thirty-second intervals, and (ii) in the case of any such audio that was generated by editing or manipulating existing audio,acitationdirectingsuchlistenertotheoriginalsourcefromwhich the unedited or unmanipulated version of such existing audio was obtained;
(B) Consists only of audio, (i) a disclaimer stating "This communication contains audio that has been manipulated", or using substantially the same words, is read in a clearly spoken manner, in a pitch that can be easily heard by the average listener and in the same language as the deceptive synthetic media and any other language such person should reasonably expect such listener to speak or understand, and which disclaimer is read at the beginning of such communication, at the end of such communication and, if such communication is greater than one minute in length, interspersed within such communication at not less frequently than thirty-second intervals, and (ii) in the case of any such audio that was generated by editing or manipulating existing audio,acitationdirectingsuchlistenertotheoriginalsourcefromwhich the unedited or unmanipulated version of such existing audio was obtained;
(A) A radio station or television station, whether broadcast, cable or satellite and including, but not limited to, any producer or programmer or any certified competitive video service provider, community antenna television company, holder of a certificate of cable franchise authority sHB5342 / File No.
(A) A radio station or television station, whether broadcast, cable or satellite and including, but not limited to, any producer or programmer or any certified competitive video service provider, community antenna television company, holder of a certificate of cable franchise authority or holder of a certificate of video franchise authority, as those terms are defined in section 16-1 of the general statutes, or a streaming or other digital broadcast service provider, that (i) broadcasts such communication containing deceptive synthetic media as part of a bona fide newscast, news interview, news documentary or other on-the-spot LCO 3 of 7 Substitute Bill No.
517 3 sHB5342 File No.
5342 coverage of bona fide news events, (ii) (I) retains the disclaimer upon such communication required under subdivision (1) of this subsection, or (II) except in the case of any such on-the-spot coverage, adds such a disclaimer at the time of such broadcast if such communication did not previously include such a disclaimer, and (iii) except in the case of any such on-the-spot coverage for which such person does not have reason to believe that such communication contains deceptive synthetic media, clearly states in the content of such broadcast that such communication contains deceptive synthetic media;
517 or holder of a certificate of video franchise authority, as those terms are defined in section 16-1 of the general statutes, or a streaming or other digital broadcast service provider, that (i) broadcasts such communication containing deceptive synthetic media as part of a bona fide newscast, news interview, news documentary or other on-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events, (ii) (I) retains the disclaimer upon such communication required under subdivision (1) of this subsection, or (II) except in the case of any such on-the-spot coverage, adds such a disclaimer at the time of such broadcast if such communication did not previously include such a disclaimer, and (iii) except in the case of any such on-the-spot coverage for which such person does not have reason to believe that such communication contains deceptive synthetic media, clearly states in the content of such broadcast that such communication contains deceptive synthetic media;
If such entity obtains such attestation from such person, such entity shall not be liable under this section, unless such entity (1) develops knowledge that sHB5342 / File No.
If such entity obtains such attestation from such person, such entity shall not be liable under this section, unless such entity (1) develops knowledge that such communication contains deceptive synthetic media, and (2) with such knowledge, proceeds to distribute, continue to distribute or enter into an agreement to distribute such communication containing deceptive synthetic media.
517 4 sHB5342 File No.
LCO 4 of 7 Substitute Bill No.
517 such communication contains deceptive synthetic media, and (2) with such knowledge, proceeds to distribute, continue to distribute or enter into an agreement to distribute such communication containing deceptive synthetic media.
5342 (e) (1) If an individual violates the provisions of subsection (b) of this section with the intent to distribute a communication containing deceptive synthetic media to an audience and such audience exceeds one thousand individuals, such individual shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor, except that:
(e) (1) If an individual violates the provisions of subsection (b) of this section with the intent to distribute a communication containing deceptive synthetic media to an audience and such audience exceeds one thousand individuals, such individual shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor, except that:
(B) An individual described in subsection (b) of this section, or a candidate who has been injured by the distribution of a communication sHB5342 / File No.
(B) An individual described in subsection (b) of this section, or a candidate who has been injured by the distribution of a communication containing deceptive synthetic media in violation of the provisions of said subsection, may commence a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction seeking to recover general or special damages resulting from such distribution.
517 5 sHB5342 File No.
LCO 5 of 7 Substitute Bill No.
517 containing deceptive synthetic media in violation of the provisions of said subsection, may commence a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction seeking to recover general or special damages resulting from such distribution.
5342 (2) In any civil action commenced under subdivision (1) of this subsection, the plaintiff shall bear the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant distributed, or will imminently distribute, a communication containing deceptive synthetic media in violation of the provisions of subsection (b) of this section.
(2) In any civil action commenced under subdivision (1) of this subsection, the plaintiff shall bear the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant distributed, or will imminently distribute, a communication containing deceptive synthetic media in violation of the provisions of subsection (b) of this section.
(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose liability on a person engaged in the provision of (A) broadband Internet service, as sHB5342 / File No.
(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose liability on a person engaged in the provision of (A) broadband Internet service, as defined in 47 CFR 8, as amended from time to time, or a telecommunications service, as defined in section 16-247a of the general statutes, for the transmission of content provided by another person or for the routine delivery of an electronic mail message, as defined in LCO 6 of 7 Substitute Bill No.
517 6 sHB5342 File No.
5342 section 53-454 of the general statutes, (B) direct-to-home satellite services, as defined in 47 USC 303, as amended from time to time, or any affiliate of a person providing the services described in this subparagraph, or (C) cable service, as defined in 47 USC 522, as amended from time to time, for the transmission of content provided by another person.
517 defined in 47 CFR 8, as amended from time to time, or a telecommunications service, as defined in section 16-247a of the general statutes, for the transmission of content provided by another person or for the routine delivery of an electronic mail message, as defined in section 53-454 of the general statutes, (B) direct-to-home satellite services, as defined in 47 USC 303, as amended from time to time, or any affiliate of a person providing the services described in this subparagraph, or (C) cable service, as defined in 47 USC 522, as amended from time to time, for the transmission of content provided by another person.
sHB5342 / File No.
JUD Joint Favorable LCO 7 of 7
517 7 sHB5342 File No.
517 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.
In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.
Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.
OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ Judicial Dept.
(Probation);
GF - Potential Minimal Minimal Correction, Dept.
Cost Resources of the General Fund GF - Potential Minimal Minimal Revenue Gain Note:
GF=General Fund Municipal Impact:
None Explanation The bill, which creates a new crime for violations of the bill's provisions with penalties ranging from a class C misdemeanor to a class D felony, results in a potential cost to the Department of Correction and the Judicial Department for incarceration or probation and a potential revenue gain to the General Fund from fines.
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On average, the marginal cost to the state for incarcerating an offender for the year is $3,300 while the average marginal cost for supervision in the community is less than $600 each year for adults and $450 each year for juveniles.
The bill also allows certain individuals or the Attorney General to bring a civilactioninSuperior Courtover allegedviolations,whichdoes not result in any fiscal impact to the state.
The court system disposes of 1Inmate marginal cost is based on increased consumables (e.g., food, clothing, water, sewage, living supplies, etc.) This does not include a change in staffing costs or utility expenses because these expenses would only be realized if a unit or facility opened.
2Probation marginal cost is based on services provided by private providers and only includes costs that increase with each additional participant.
This does not include a cost for additional supervision by a probation officer unless a new offense is anticipated to result in enough additional offenders to require additional probation officers.
sHB5342 / File No.
517 8 sHB5342 File No.
517 over 250,000 cases annually and the number of cases is not anticipated to be great enough to need additional resources.
The Attorney General has the necessary resources and expertise to meet the requirements of the bill.
The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to the number of offenses and fines collected.
sHB5342 / File No.
517 9 sHB5342 File No.
517 OLR Bill Analysis sHB 5342 AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND OTHER MEANS TO GENERATE DECEPTIVE SYNTHETIC MEDIA AND AFFECT ELECTIONS.
SUMMARY This bill generally makes it a crime for a person, 90 days before an election or primary, to (1) distribute certain communication with deceptive synthetic media or (2) enter into an agreement to distribute it.
Underthebill,a“person”isanindividual,committee,firm,partnership, organization, association, syndicate, company trust, corporation, limited liability company, or any other legal entity, but not the state or any of its political or administrative subdivisions.
Specifically, the bill prohibits this if:
1.
the person knows, or should reasonably know, it is deceptive synthetic media (or in the case of a public official or figure, acts with reckless disregard);
2.
it is distributed without the depicted individual’s consent;
and 3.
it is intended to injure a candidate or influence election or primary results.
However, the bill exempts distributing certain deceptive synthetic media if it has a disclaimer as required by the bill.
The bill also establishes several specific exemptions including for (1) parody and satire, (2) certain political advertising and campaign communications, and (3) certain news reporting.
The bill allows the state attorney general and certain people to bring a civil action against someone who violates the bill’s provisions and sHB5342 / File No.
517 10 sHB5342 File No.
517 subjects violators to criminal penalties ranging from a class C misdemeanor to a class D felony, depending on the circumstances.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
July 1, 2026 DECEPTIVE SYNTHETIC MEDIA Under the bill, “deceptive synthetic media” is any image, audio, or video of an individual, and any representation of his or her speech or conduct that is substantially derived from it, which a reasonable person would believe depicts the individual’s speech or conduct when the individual did not do so.
DISCLAIMER Under thebill,deceptive syntheticmediamay bedistributed lawfully within the 90-day period if it contains a disclaimer as required by the bill.
The disclaimer varies depending on the type of media (image, audio, or video).
Image Disclaimer Under the bill, the image must contain a disclaimer stating, “This communication contains an image that has been manipulated,” “This image has been manipulated,” as applicable, or one that uses substantially the same words.
Additionally, the disclaimer must:
1.
appear in text clearly visible to, and easily readable by, the average viewer and 2.
have a citation to the original source of the unedited or unmanipulated version of the image if the media was generated by editing or manipulating an existing image.
Audio Disclaimer The audio must contain a disclaimer stating, “This communication contains audio that has been manipulated” or one that uses substantially the same words.
Additionally, the disclaimer must:
1.
be read in a clearly spoken manner, sHB5342 / File No.
517 11 sHB5342 File No.
517 2.
be in a pitch that can be heard by the average listener, 3.
be read in the same language as the rest of the media and any other language the person would reasonably expect the listener to speak or understand, and 4.
include a citation to the original source of the unedited or unmanipulated version of the audio if the media was generated by editing or manipulating existing audio.
The disclaimer must be read at the beginning and end of the communication.
If the communication is greater than one minute, it must be read during the audio at least every 30 seconds.
Video Disclaimer The video must contain a disclaimer stating, “This communication containsvideothathasbeenmanipulated”oronethatusessubstantially the same words.
Additionally, the disclaimer must:
1.
appear throughout the entire video in text clearly visible to, and easily readable by, the average viewer;
2.
be in the same language as the rest of the media and any other language the person would reasonably expect the listener to speak or understand;
and 3.
have a citation to the original source of the unedited or unmanipulated version of the video if the media was generated by editing or manipulating existing video.
EXEMPTIONS General Exemptions The bill’s provisions also do not apply to (1) media that constitutes parody or satire that areasonablepersonwouldnot believe thedepicted individual actually did or (2) any political advertising or campaign communications that must be distributed as required by law, including federal equal time requirements.
sHB5342 / File No.
517 12 sHB5342 File No.
517 Federallawgenerally requiresradio andtelevisionstations to give all legally qualified candidates equal opportunity to use their broadcasting stations if the station allows at least one candidate to do so.
The law explicitly states that stations are not authorized to censor the media a candidate provides (47 U.S.C.
§ 315).
The bill exempts these stations from the bill’s prohibition if they must distribute or agree to distribute deceptive synthetic media and cannot censor the content as required under this law.
For content transmitted by another person, the bill also specifies it may not be construed to impose liability on (1) broadband internet or telecommunication service providers, for transmitting content another person provides or routine email deliveries;
(2) direct-to-home satellite service providers and their affiliates, for providing satellite services;
or (3) cable service providers, for transmitting content another person provides.
News Broadcasts Under thebill,radioortelevisionstations(including broadcast,cable, and satellite) and streaming or other digital broadcast service providers (collectively “broadcasters”) may broadcast deceptive synthetic media if it is part of a bona fide newscast, news interview, news documentary, or other on-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events.
The broadcast must either retain the disclaimer required by the bill or add one if the original communication did not have one, except for on-the-spot coverage.
Additionally, a broadcast must clearly state in its content that the communication contains deceptive synthetic media, except for on-the-spot coverage of a communication that the person does not have reason to believe contains deceptive synthetic media.
Websites or regular periodicals may publish this media if (1) it is part of their routine news coverage and commentary of general interest, (2) they retain the disclaimer required by the bill or add one if not present, and (3) they clearly state in their content that the communication contains deceptive synthetic media.
sHB5342 / File No.
517 13 sHB5342 File No.
517 Political Advertising Attestation If a person purchases advertising space for political advertising, as defined under the state’s campaign finance laws, the bill allows a broadcaster to require the purchaser to attest, under penalty of false statement, that the communication does not contain any deceptive synthetic media.
By law, making a false statement is a class A misdemeanor (punishable by up to 364 days imprisonment, a fine of $2,000, or both).
If the broadcaster receives this attestation, it may not be held liable under the bill unless it develops knowledge that deceptive synthetic media is being used and still proceeds in distributing, agreeing to distribute, or continuing to distribute the media.
PENALTIES Criminal Under the bill, if a person intends to distribute deceptive synthetic media to an audience and that audience exceeds 1,000 individuals, a violation of the bill can result in at least a class C misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of incarceration of three months, a $500 fine, or both.
For violations (1) committed with the intent to cause violence or bodily harm or (2) distributed to an audience of more than 10,000 individuals, the bill increases the penalty to a class A misdemeanor.
The penalty may also be increased to a class D felony (up to five years imprisonment, a $5,000 fine, or both) for a subsequent conviction within five years.
These criminal penalties are in addition to any injunctive or equitable relief or special damages pursued in a civil action.
Civil The bill also allows (1) the attorney general;
(2) an individual depicted in the deceptive media;
or (3) a candidate alleging an injury or the likelihood of injury to themselves by the media’s distribution, to seek a permanent injunction or other equitable relief against a person violating, or that will imminently violate, the bill’s provisions.
The sHB5342 / File No.
517 14 sHB5342 File No.
517 plaintiff must prove their claim by clear and convincing evidence.
Plaintiffs, other thanthe attorney general,may seek generalor special damages due to the distribution and the court may award attorney’s fees and costs to a prevailing plaintiff.
COMMITTEE ACTION Government Administration and Elections Committee Joint Favorable Substitute Yea 14 Nay 5 (03/20/2026) sHB5342 / File No.
517 15
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Action History

  1. TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR

  2. NO NEW FILE BY COMM. ON Judiciary

  3. RPTD. OUT OF LCO

  4. FILED WITH LCO

  5. Joint Favorable

  6. REF. BY HOUSE TO COMMITTEE ON Judiciary

  7. FILE NO. 517

  8. HOUSE CALENDAR NUMBER 337

  9. FAV. RPT., TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR

  10. RPTD. OUT OF LCO

  11. REFERRED TO Office of Legislative Research AND Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/07/26

  12. FILED WITH LCO

  13. Joint Favorable Substitute

  14. PUBLIC HEARING 0304

  15. REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Government Administration and Elections

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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19 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 168 not signed on

Sponsors (19)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (168)

168 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 5342?
HB 5342 is sponsored by Jaime S. Foster (Democratic), Hector Arzeno (Democratic), John-Michael Parker (Democratic), Tom Delnicki (Republican), Rebecca Martinez (Democratic), Mary Welander (Democratic), Kate Farrar (Democratic), Josh Elliott (Democratic), Savet Constantine (Democratic), Nick Gauthier (Democratic), Michael "MJ" Shannon (Democratic), Renee LaMark Muir (Democratic), Jennifer Leeper (Democratic), Lucy Dathan (Democratic), William Heffernan (Democratic), Julie Kushner (Democratic), Hubert D. Delany (Democratic), Matt Blumenthal (Democratic), and Nicholas Menapace (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 5342?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 26, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 5342?
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