ASSEMBLY, No. 4741
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED MARCH 19, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman LARRY WAINSTEIN
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblyman GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ
District 33 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Restricts use of certain artificial intelligence generated communications in election campaigns.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act restricting the use of certain artificial intelligence generated communications in election campaigns and supplementing P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Communications paid for or financed by a candidate committee, joint candidates committee, political committee, continuing political committee, independent expenditure committee, political party committee, or legislative leadership committee, or any group other than such a committee, or any person shall be subject to the following:
(1) any communication aiding or promoting the nomination, election, or defeat of any candidate, or providing political information on any candidate, that was created or altered using artificial intelligence shall not be published, circulated, broadcast, or otherwise made publicly available within 90 days before an election;
(2) any communication published, circulated, broadcast, or otherwise made publicly available using artificial intelligence shall be clearly labeled with the statement, "Artificial intelligence was used in creating this message"; and
(3) any communication published, circulated, broadcast, or otherwise made publicly available shall not contain deceptive audio or visual media that was created or altered using artificial intelligence, features an opposing candidate for the same office, and that presents or portrays the opposing candidate in a manner that is demonstrably false, fraudulent, or defamatory.
b. As used in this section, "artificial intelligence" means a machine-based system that, for explicit or implicit objectives, infers, from the input it receives, how to generate outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations, or decisions that may influence physical or virtual environments.
"Communication" means a press release, pamphlet, flyer, form letter, sign, billboard, paid advertisement printed in any newspaper or other publication or broadcast on radio or television, or telephone call featuring a recorded message, or any other form of advertising, including Internet and digital advertising, directed to the electorate.
"Deceptive audio or visual media" means any video recording, motion picture film, sound recording, electronic image, or photograph, or any technological representation of speech or conduct substantially derivative thereof that appears, to a reasonable person, to authentically depict any speech or conduct of a person who did not in fact engage in the speech or conduct and the production of which was substantially dependent upon technical means, rather than the ability of another person to physically or verbally impersonate the person.
c. A person who violates any provision of this section, in addition to any other penalty provided by law, shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.
d. The Election Law Enforcement Commission shall, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations as necessary to implement this act.
2. This act shall take effect on the 60th day after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill restricts the use of certain artificial intelligence generated communications in election campaigns.
Under the bill, communications paid for or financed by a candidate committee, joint candidates committee, political committee, continuing political committee, independent expenditure committee, political party committee, or legislative leadership committee, or any group other than such a committee, or any person will be subject to the following restrictions:
any communication aiding or promoting the nomination, election, or defeat of any candidate or providing political information on any candidate using artificial intelligence will not be permitted to be published, circulated, broadcast, or otherwise made publicly available within 90 days before an election;
any communication published, circulated, broadcast, or otherwise made publicly available that was created or altered using artificial intelligence will be required to be clearly labeled with the statement, "Artificial intelligence was used in creating this message"; and
any communication published, circulated, broadcast, or otherwise made publicly available will not contain deceptive audio or visual media that was created or altered using artificial intelligence, that features an opposing candidate for the same office, and that presents or portrays the opposing candidate in a manner that is demonstrably false, fraudulent, or defamatory.
A person who violates any provision of this bill will be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree, in addition to any other penalty provided by law. A crime of the fourth degree is punishable by imprisonment for up to 18 months, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
The Election Law Enforcement Commission will be authorized to adopt rules and regulations as necessary to implement the provisions of this bill.