HR 9922
AI Transparency in Elections Act of 2026
TL;DR
Rep. Joe Morelle's bill would require political ads and campaign communications to disclose when they use AI-generated content, like deepfake videos or synthetic voices of candidates. It targets the growing use of generative AI in election messaging and would create federal transparency rules for campaigns, PACs, and ad platforms.
How This Might Impact Your Business
Political advertising platforms (Meta, Google, TikTok, X) would need systems to detect, label, and archive AI-generated content in political ads before running them.
Ad agencies and political consultants creating campaign content would need to disclose AI use in videos, images, and audio, changing production workflows and contracts.
Generative AI vendors (OpenAI, Anthropic, ElevenLabs, Midjourney, Runway) may face pressure to add watermarking or provenance features to comply with downstream disclosure requirements.
Broadcasters and streaming services carrying political ads would likely need updated ad acceptance policies and verification processes.
Enforcement would likely fall to the FEC, with civil penalties for undisclosed AI content in regulated communications.
Non-political businesses are not directly covered, but the disclosure standards could set precedent for commercial advertising rules later.
Bill is still in committee (House Administration), so requirements and timelines could shift significantly before any vote.
What Should You Do
If you sell ads or AI tools used in political content, ask legal and product teams to map where AI-generated media enters your pipeline and whether you can detect or label it.
Ad agencies and PR firms working with campaigns should draft AI-use disclosure clauses for client contracts now, ahead of the 2026 cycle.
Generative AI companies should evaluate watermarking and content provenance standards (like C2PA) to stay ahead of likely disclosure mandates.
Assign someone to track HR 9922 through the House Committee on House Administration and flag any markup or companion Senate bill.
Review your platform's current political ad policies against the bill's likely disclosure standard and identify gaps.
Who It Affects
Sponsors
Status Timeline
committee
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
July 23, 2026
committee
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
July 23, 2026