Bills › 90th General Assembly
Relating to the conduct of elections, including the use of artificial intelligence and deceptive statements, and providing penalties
Sponsored by the House Economic Growth and Technology Committee
Topics:Elections & votingState governmentTechnology & privacyArtificial intelligence
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 15, 2024
- Skipped: SubcommitteeSkipped
- Done: House committeeMarch 6, 2024
- Done: Passes the HouseMarch 6, 202493–1
- Stopped: Senate committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The General Assembly adjourned on April 19, 2024. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
This bill relates to the use of artificial intelligence in technologies used in elections and the publication of certain materials related to elections. The bill prohibits the use of artificial intelligence, defined in the bill, in automatic tabulating equipment, ballot marking devices, and optical scan voting systems approved for use in this state. The bill also requires published material generated through the use of artificial intelligence and designed to expressly advocate the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate for public office or the passage or defeat of a ballot issue to include a disclosure that the published material was generated using artificial intelligence.
Read the full explanation
A person who fails to include such a disclosure is guilty of a class “D” felony. A class “D” felony is punishable by confinement for no more than five years and a fine of at least $1,025 but not more than $10,245. The bill requires published material designed to expressly advocate the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate for public office or the passage or defeat of a ballot issue that includes a materially deceptive depiction of a candidate to include a disclosure that the published material has been manipulated. Under the bill, published material is materially deceptive if it has been manipulated to change the physical appearance of a candidate or depict a candidate performing an act that did not occur, or, in the case of an image, if it has been altered to change the saturation, brightness, contrast, color, or other visible quality of an image of a candidate. A person who fails to include such a disclosure is guilty of a class “D” felony. The bill prohibits a person from making or publishing, or causing to be made or published, a false representation about a candidate or ballot issue that is intended to or actually affects voting at an election. By operation of law, a person who violates this provision of the bill is guilty of a serious misdemeanor. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least $430 but not more than $2,560.
From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Amendments adopted later aren’t reflected. Full bill text
Senate subcommittee
Named March 11, 2024. It hasn’t reported yet.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
Fiscal note
Can’t be estimated Compare with other bills
0 additional Attorney 1 FTE position. House File 2549 establishes new criminal offenses, and the fiscal impact cannot be estimated due to a lack of existing conviction data. The average State costs for the offenses found within HF 2549 are shown in Figure 2.
- False Election Materials, Prohibition · March 13, 2024
- False Election Materials, Prohibition · February 28, 2024
Nonpartisan cost estimates from the Legislative Services Agency’s Fiscal Services Division. The newest is first. Reading a fiscal note
Iowa Code it changes
Amends§68A.405
Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works
Lobbying
2 for · 0 against · 9 undecided · Who →