ELECTIONS/CAMPAIGNS: Requires disclosure of the use of artificial intelligence in telephone campaign communications
Summary
HB 639 amends Louisiana law governing telephone campaign communications to require a clear and understandable disclosure at the beginning of any covered telephone or automated call that was created using artificial intelligence and uses the voice of a public figure, including an elected official or limited public figure. The bill defines key terms such as artificial intelligence, automated call, elected public official, limited public figure, message testing, and public figure, and it ties the AI definition to existing criminal law. It also clarifies that the disclosure requirement applies to calls made in campaign contexts and is aimed at transparency in political communications.
The bill further provides that certain third-party service providers are not liable for content supplied by another person, including interactive computer services, internet service providers, cloud providers, cybersecurity providers, information service providers, telecommunications service providers, and broadcasters. Violations are subject to civil fines of up to $2,500 for a first offense and up to $5,000 for subsequent offenses. The Board of Ethics is given authority to administer and enforce the new requirements, and related jurisdictional language in the ethics code is updated accordingly.
Impact
HB 639 expands Louisiana’s election and ethics regulatory framework by adding a specific disclosure mandate for AI-generated campaign calls that imitate public figures. It amends R.S. 18:1463.1 and R.S. 42:1132 to create new compliance obligations for campaign speakers and to assign enforcement authority to the Board of Ethics. The bill affects candidates, political committees, campaign vendors, and others involved in telephone campaign communications, while also limiting liability for certain communications infrastructure and media providers.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and was enacted with strong margins in both chambers. It passed the House 80-11 on final passage, the Senate 33-0, and the House later concurred in Senate amendments 85-0, indicating general agreement on the need for disclosure around AI use in political calls. The absence of committee transcript opposition suggests the measure was viewed as a targeted transparency and consumer-protection update rather than a controversial overhaul.
Contention
The main policy issue underlying HB 639 is how to regulate AI-generated political speech without overburdening legitimate campaign communications or third-party service providers. The bill’s disclosure requirement for calls using the voice of a public figure reflects concern about deceptive or misleading robocalls, while the liability carve-outs for internet, cloud, telecom, and broadcast providers appear designed to address industry concerns about being held responsible for user-generated content. Any disagreement likely centered on the scope of the disclosure rule, the definitions of public figure and limited public figure, and whether the civil penalties and ethics enforcement structure were sufficient or too broad.
Requests the state Department of Education, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Board of Regents, and postsecondary education management boards to promote artificial intelligence education for students and to encourage professional development relative to artificial intelligence for faculty and staff