In one paragraph
Louisiana's SB 346 (Act 496) adds R.S. 17:416.14.1: no student, faculty member, administrative staff member or other employee at an elementary or secondary school may use material considered a deepfake against a K-12 student with the intent to coerce, harass, intimidate, or maliciously disseminate or sell the material. A deepfake is audio or visual media made or altered to falsely appear to a reasonable observer to be an authentic record of an individual's speech or conduct, or that swaps in another's likeness. BESE, with the Department of Education, must adopt rules to implement it. Signed May 29, 2026; effective August 1, 2026.
Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.
What it means for business
No duties for businesses. The rule applies to students, faculty, administrators and other employees at elementary and secondary schools; BESE must adopt rules to implement it.
Key provisions
- New R.S. 17:416.14.1(A): no student, faculty member, member of the administrative staff or other employee at an elementary or secondary school shall use material considered to be a deepfake against a student enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve, with the intent to coerce, harass, intimidate, or maliciously disseminate or sell the material
- Deepfake: any audio or visual media in electronic format, including film or video, created, altered or digitally manipulated so it would falsely appear to a reasonable observer to be an authentic record of the individual's actual speech or conduct, or that replaces an individual's likeness with another individual
- Excluded: material of political, public interest or newsworthy value (including commentary, criticism, satire or parody) and material with content, context or a clear disclosure visible throughout that would make a reasonable person understand it is not a record of a real event
- BESE, in collaboration with the state Department of Education, shall develop and adopt rules and regulations to implement the section; the act itself contains no penalty provision
- Signed by the Governor May 29, 2026 (Act 496); effective August 1, 2026
Latest legislative action
May 29, 2026. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 496.
Sponsors (showing 5 of 7)
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Regina Ashford Barrow | Primary |
| Barbara Reich Freiberg | Cosponsor |
| Chasity Martinez | Cosponsor |
| Laurie Schlegel | Cosponsor |
| Sylvia Taylor | Cosponsor |
Topics and industries
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Affected industries
This page is general information, not legal advice. Summaries are AI-assisted and may contain errors; read the statute for the controlling text and talk to a lawyer about your situation. Full disclaimer · Report an error