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HB 276UTAHSession 2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Utah enacts rules regulating AI-generated counterfeit intimate images and digital content provenance standards

Original title: Artificial Intelligence Modifications

Last action · March 24, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Ariel Defay and 2 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

The Utah Legislature enacted a law establishing civil liability and protections for generation services and s regarding non-consensual s, while setting digital content provenance and disclosure requirements for large online platforms, capture device manufacturers, and state agencies effective January 1, 2027.

Why it matters

Residents gain the right to file civil lawsuits seeking actual damages, emotional distress compensation, punitive damages, and attorney fees against services that distribute non-consensual deepfakes, while technology companies and device manufacturers face strict technical compliance rules and administrative fines of up to $2,500 per violation.

Background
  • HB 276 was introduced during the 2026 General Session of the Utah Legislature and signed into law by the governor on March 24, 2026. context
  • The legislation incorporates definitions and standards aligned with the federal Take It Down Act and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. context

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Generation services

Generation services must implement verified consent systems, maintain 7-year records of consent, provide reporting procedures, and face civil liability for distributing non-consensual counterfeit intimate images.

Directly affected

Covered platforms

Covered platforms must establish notice-and-removal procedures, remove reported counterfeit intimate images within 48 hours, and adhere to heightened pleading protections and safe harbor rules.

Directly affected

Large online platforms

Platforms with over 2,000,000 unique monthly users must detect, disclose, and preserve compliant system provenance data and avoid knowingly stripping provenance metadata.

Directly affected

Capture device manufacturers

Manufacturers producing capture devices for sale in the state on or after January 1, 2028, must include latent disclosures conveying manufacturer identity and creation time.

Directly affected

Utah residents

Residents gain enhanced privacy rights, notice-and-takedown protections, and the ability to file civil lawsuits against entities distributing non-consensual counterfeit intimate images.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is considered a counterfeit intimate image under this law?
A is defined as a digital forgery matching the term used in the federal Take It Down Act, referring to non-consensual intimate visual depictions generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence.
What must online platforms do when notified of a non-consensual deepfake?
s must remove the reported within 48 hours of receiving notice and make reasonable efforts to identify and remove any identical copies.
What remedies can an injured person seek in a civil lawsuit?
A plaintiff may seek injunctions, orders to destroy copies, actual damages including emotional distress, punitive damages for willful violations, and reasonable attorney fees and costs without needing to prove actual damages.
When does this legislation take effect?
The provisions generally take effect on January 1, 2027, with specific capture device manufacturing requirements taking effect on January 1, 2028.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

58 actions
  1. Mar 24, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolled
    Governor Signed
  2. Mar 12, 2026House
    House/ to Governor
  3. Mar 12, 2026House
    House/ received enrolled bill from Printing
  4. Mar 11, 2026House
    House/ enrolled bill to Printing
  5. Mar 11, 2026Clerk of the House
    Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
  6. Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 52 earlier actions
  1. Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Bill Received from House for Enrolling
  2. Mar 5, 2026House
    House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
  3. Mar 5, 2026House
    House/ received from Senate
  4. Mar 5, 2026Senate
    Senate/ to House
  5. Mar 5, 2026Senate
    Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House
  6. Mar 5, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
  7. Mar 5, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  8. Mar 5, 2026House
    House/ concurs with Senate amendment
  9. Mar 5, 2026House
    House/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
  10. Mar 5, 2026House
    House/ received from Senate
  11. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate/ to House with amendments
  12. Mar 4, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
  13. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate/ uncircled
  14. Mar 4, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0276S02
  15. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate/ circled
  16. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate/ substituted
  17. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate/ uncircled
  18. Mar 4, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0276S02
  19. Mar 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0276S02
  20. Mar 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0276S02
  21. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate/ circled
  22. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
  23. Feb 26, 2026Senate
    Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
  24. Feb 26, 2026Senate
    Senate/ comm rpt/ amended
  25. Feb 26, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  26. Feb 26, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Amendment Recommendation
  27. Feb 24, 2026SenateCommittee
    Senate/ to standing committee
  28. Feb 23, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  29. Feb 20, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
  30. Feb 20, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  31. Feb 20, 2026HouseFloor
    House/ passed 3rd reading
  32. Feb 20, 2026House
    House/ floor amendment
  33. Feb 20, 2026House
    House/ 3rd reading
  34. Feb 17, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0276S01
  35. Feb 13, 2026House
    House/ 2nd reading
  36. Feb 13, 2026House
    House/ comm rpt/ substituted/ amended
  37. Feb 13, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0276S01
  38. Feb 12, 2026House
    House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  39. Feb 12, 2026House
    House Comm - Amendment Recommendation
  40. Feb 12, 2026House
    House Comm - Substitute Recommendation
  41. Feb 11, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0276S01
  42. Feb 11, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0276S01
  43. Feb 6, 2026HouseCommittee
    House/ to standing committee
  44. Jan 26, 2026House
    House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
  45. Jan 26, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0276
  46. Jan 22, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0276
  47. Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroduced
    House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  48. Jan 20, 2026House
    House/ received bill from Legislative Research
  49. Jan 16, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0276
  50. Jan 16, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0276
  51. Jan 16, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
  52. Jan 16, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Bill Numbered but not Distributed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Ariel DefayHouse · District 15RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Kirk CullimoreSenate · District 19RepublicanCosponsor
Kirk CullimoreSenate · District 19RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift99% confidence

Comprehensive AI Content Regulation Framework

Utah establishes an integrated statutory framework linking criminal-equivalent civil remedies for digital voyeurism directly to technical provenance tracking and platform safe harbor requirements.

Division of Consumer Protection

Connected Entities

Division of Consumer Protection, Consumer Protection Education and Training Fund, Department of Commerce
OrganizationDivision of Consumer Protection“Administers and enforces the provisions of the act”Map →
OrganizationConsumer Protection Education and Training Fund“Receives deposited fines and civil penalties collected under the act”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Commerce“Houses the Division of Consumer Protection”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy45
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz75
    Current news / social attention level

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