While states have led the way on deepfake regulation, Congress has introduced multiple bills targeting AI-generated content, digital replicas, and synthetic media. This tracker covers every major federal AI and deepfake bill we have verified through official congressional records.
At the state level, 42 states have enacted deepfake-related laws, and 1806 total AI bills are currently tracked across 50 states. See our live stats dashboard for continuously updated counts.
Federal AI & Deepfake Bills: Complete Status Table
Every bill below has been verified against official congress.gov records. Bills from the 118th Congress (2023–2024) that did not pass have died and would need to be reintroduced in the 119th Congress to advance.
| Bill # | Title | Chamber | Sponsor | Latest Action | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.1837 | DEFIANCE Act of 2025 | Senate | Sen. Durbin (D-IL) | Passed Senate (Jan. 2026); referred to House | Passed Senate | congress.gov |
| H.R.5586 | DEEPFAKES Accountability Act | House | Rep. Clarke (D-NY) | Referred to Judiciary, Energy & Commerce, and Homeland Security committees (118th Congress) | Died in Committee | congress.gov |
| S.4875 | NO FAKES Act of 2024 | Senate | Sen. Coons (D-DE) | Referred to Committee on the Judiciary (118th Congress) | Died in Committee | congress.gov |
| H.R.9551 | NO FAKES Act of 2024 | House | Rep. Salazar (R-FL) | Referred to Committee on the Judiciary (118th Congress) | Died in Committee | congress.gov |
| H.R.6943 | No AI FRAUD Act | House | Rep. Salazar (R-FL) | Referred to Committee on the Judiciary (118th Congress) | Died in Committee | congress.gov |
| S.3312 | AI Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act of 2024 | Senate | Sen. Thune (R-SD) | Referred to Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (118th Congress) | Died in Committee | congress.gov |
Bill-by-Bill Analysis
S.1837 — DEFIANCE Act of 2025
The Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits (DEFIANCE) Act creates a federal civil cause of action for individuals depicted in non-consensual, sexually-explicit deepfake images or videos. The bill passed the Senate in January 2026 and is awaiting House action. Originally introduced in the 118th Congress as S.3696, it was reintroduced in the 119th Congress as S.1837 by Sen. Durbin.
Source: S.1837 on congress.gov
H.R.5586 — DEEPFAKES Accountability Act
Introduced by Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) in September 2023, this bill would require creators of deepfakes to include digital watermarks and disclosures. It creates both criminal and civil penalties for malicious non-disclosure, authorizes FTC enforcement, and establishes a DHS-led task force on deepfake threats. The bill was referred to multiple House committees but did not advance in the 118th Congress.
Source: H.R.5586 on congress.gov
S.4875 / H.R.9551 — NO FAKES Act of 2024
The Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act establishes federal protections for individuals’ voice and visual likeness against unauthorized AI-generated replicas. The Senate version was introduced by Sen. Coons (D-DE) with bipartisan support; the House companion was introduced by Rep. Salazar (R-FL). Neither advanced past committee in the 118th Congress.
H.R.6943 — No AI FRAUD Act
The No Artificial Intelligence Fake Replicas And Unauthorized Duplications (No AI FRAUD) Act, introduced by Rep. Salazar (R-FL) in January 2024, would establish a federal right to one’s likeness and voice, creating a property right protecting individuals from unauthorized AI-generated replicas. It was referred to the House Judiciary Committee but did not receive a vote in the 118th Congress.
Source: H.R.6943 on congress.gov
S.3312 — AI Research, Innovation, and Accountability Act
Introduced by Sen. Thune (R-SD) with bipartisan co-sponsors, this comprehensive bill establishes a framework for AI innovation and accountability. Title I covers AI research standards including content authenticity and provenance. Title II creates transparency requirements for high-impact AI systems and generative AI. The bill was referred to the Commerce Committee but did not advance in the 118th Congress.
Source: S.3312 on congress.gov
Bills Omitted from This Tracker
The following bills were considered for inclusion but omitted because the bill numbers provided could not be verified at the expected congress.gov URLs:
- H.R.3855 — This bill number in the 118th Congress corresponds to the National Digital Reserve Corps Act, not the DEFIANCE Act. The House DEFIANCE Act companion is H.R.7569 (118th Congress) or H.R.3562 (119th Congress).
- H.R.7593 — This bill number in the 118th Congress corresponds to the Modernizing CRS’s Access to Data Act, not the REAL Political Advertisements Act. The correct bill number for the REAL Political Advertisements Act is H.R.3044.
How State Laws Compare
While federal legislation has stalled for most bills, states have moved aggressively. See our complete Deepfake Laws by State 2026 guide for a state-by-state comparison, or use the Deepfake Penalty Tracker to compare penalties across jurisdictions.
For continuously updated counts on how many states have AI and deepfake laws, visit our By the Numbers dashboard.