Rhode Island · verified October 5, 2026

Rhode Island AI laws for political campaigns

Disclosure required2 AI call rules3 political AI laws

In the 90 days before any Rhode Island election with candidates on the ballot, candidates, committees, parties, and independent spenders may not distribute deceptive AI deepfakes of a candidate unless they carry a disclosure that the media "has been manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence," and depicted candidates can sue.

Political ad AI law
Disclosure
When it applies
Within 90 days of any election at which a candidate for elective office will appear on the ballot
Required AI disclaimer
Clear AI statement
Criminal penalty
No, civil only
Candidate can sue
Yes
AI voice calls
2 state rules + TCPA

Political ads and deepfakes

Does Rhode Island regulate AI in political ads?

Yes. Since July 2, 2025, a candidate, campaign committee, PAC, party committee, or anyone making an independent expenditure may not, within 90 days of an election at which a candidate will appear on the ballot, distribute synthetic media they know or should know is deceptive and fraudulent. The ban lifts if the media includes a disclosure that it has been manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence, shown in readable type (no smaller than the largest other text, and for the full length of a video) or, for audio, read at the start, the end, and every two minutes. Depicted candidates (including incumbents) can sue for an injunction and for damages against whoever generated the media, but must prove the violation by clear and convincing evidence. There is no criminal penalty. Key law (S 816 Sub A and H 5872 Sub A (2025), Public Laws 2025 ch. 410 and ch. 409, R.I. Gen. Laws 17-30-1 to 17-30-4).

S 816 Sub A and H 5872 Sub A (2025), Public Laws 2025 ch. 410 and ch. 409: Deceptive and Fraudulent Synthetic Media in Election Communications

In effect
Citation
R.I. Gen. Laws 17-30-1 to 17-30-4
Enacted
July 2, 2025
Effective
July 2, 2025
When it applies
within 90 days of any election at which a candidate for elective office will appear on the ballot
Media covered
images, audio recordings, and video recordings of an individual's appearance, speech, or conduct intentionally manipulated with generative adversarial network techniques or other digital technology to create a realistic but false depiction that gives a fundamentally different impression than the original
Who it covers
candidates (including incumbents and office holders), authorized candidate campaign committees, political action committees, political party committees, and persons or entities making independent expenditures (as defined in 17-25-3)
Rule
ban unless disclosed
Intent required
knows or should know the synthetic media is deceptive and fraudulent
Disclaimer format
A disclosure "stating that the image has been manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence" (statutory phrasing; no fixed script). Visual: easily readable by the average viewer and no smaller than the largest font size of any other text in the media; for video, shown for the entire video. Audio only (when no visual disclosure is feasible): read clearly at a speed and pitch easily heard by the average listener, at the beginning and end, and at intervals of no more than two minutes if the audio runs longer than two minutes.
Exemptions
  • radio and TV stations, cable or satellite operators, programmers, producers, mobile apps, and streaming services that air the media, unless acting as a PAC or independent spender
  • news websites, newspapers, magazines, and periodicals that routinely carry news and commentary, if they clearly state the media does not accurately represent the candidate's speech or conduct
  • satire or parody
  • interactive computer services (47 U.S.C. 230)
  • security, fraud prevention, and law enforcement activities
Civil penalty
General or special damages against the party that generated the synthetic media; court may award prevailing party reasonable attorney fees and costs
Who can sue
Yes. A candidate depicted in violating synthetic media may seek an injunction or other equitable relief against the distributing candidate, committee, PAC, party, or independent spender, and damages against whoever generated it. Clear and convincing evidence standard.
Injunction available
Yes
Notes
Codified at R.I. Gen. Laws 17-30-1 to 17-30-4 (history: P.L. 2025, ch. 409 and ch. 410, effective July 2, 2025). Two identical bills were enacted the same day, effective on passage. The law covers only campaign actors, not ordinary individuals who are not making independent expenditures. Severability clause included.

Read the official text

Bills to watch

  • None found: Public Citizen's tracker lists no further Rhode Island election deepfake bills after the 2025 enactments.. No election AI bills pending

For campaigns and consultants

Before an AI ad runs in Rhode Island

  • Inside the 90 day window, never distribute a realistic AI-altered image, audio, or video of a candidate without a disclosure that it was manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence.
  • For video, keep the disclosure on screen the whole time and at least as large as the biggest other text. For audio or robocalls, read it at the start and end, and every two minutes on long pieces.
  • Independent expenditure groups are covered the same as campaigns.
  • Satire and parody are exempt, but the plaintiff only has to show clear and convincing evidence of deception, so label anything that could be mistaken for real.

AI voice calls and texts

Can a campaign use AI voice calls in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island has no AI-specific rule for political calls. The synthetic media law (R.I. Gen. Laws 17-30) covers audio, so a robocall from a campaign or independent spender that uses an AI-manipulated voice of a real candidate within 90 days of an election must read the AI disclosure at the beginning, the end, and every two minutes. A generic AI voice that does not depict a real individual is not synthetic media under this law. Rhode Island also makes it a misdemeanor (fine up to $200 per occurrence) to operate an automatic telephone dialing system that fails to disconnect within 5 seconds after the called party hangs up (R.I. Gen. Laws 11-35-26), with no political exemption in the text. Federal TCPA rules on artificial voices also apply.

S 816 / H 5872 (2025): Synthetic media disclosure (audio)

In effect
Citation
R.I. Gen. Laws 17-30-1(d)(3)
Enacted
July 2, 2025
Effective
July 2, 2025
When it applies
within 90 days of an election with candidates on the ballot
Media covered
audio-only synthetic media of a real individual
Who it covers
candidates, campaign committees, PACs, party committees, independent spenders
Rule
ban unless disclosed
Intent required
knows or should know it is deceptive and fraudulent
Disclaimer format
Disclosure that the media has been manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence, read clearly at the beginning and end, and every two minutes or less if longer than two minutes.
Exemptions
  • broadcasters and streaming services
  • satire or parody
  • interactive computer services
Civil penalty
Damages, fees, and costs
Who can sue
Depicted candidate
Injunction available
Yes

Read the official text

Automatic telephone dialing systems failing to disconnect

In effect
Citation
R.I. Gen. Laws 11-35-26
When it applies
anytime
Media covered
automatic telephone dialing systems that store or generate numbers and deliver prerecorded messages
Who it covers
anyone operating such a system
Rule
ban
Disclaimer format
System must disconnect within 5 seconds after the called party hangs up.
Criminal penalty
Misdemeanor, fine up to $200 per occurrence
Injunction available
No
Notes
Official text confirmed (P.L. 1987, ch. 59). No political exemption.

Read the official text

Federal floor everywhere: AI-generated voices are “artificial” voices under the TCPA (FCC, February 2024), so they need prior express consent to cell phones and must identify the caller at the start of the call. AI robocall laws in every state

Federal layer

Federal rules that apply in Rhode Island

At the federal level, the binding rules that hit AI in campaigns today are the TCPA and FCC robocall rules, not any AI-specific election law. Since February 2024 the FCC treats AI-generated voices as "artificial" voices, so AI voice calls to cell phones need prior express consent (political calls included), AI or prerecorded political calls to landlines are limited to three per 30 days without consent, and every such message must identify the caller, give a callback number and offer an opt-out. The FEC says its existing fraudulent misrepresentation ban covers AI, but it has had no quorum since April 2025 and cannot enforce. Proposed FCC rules on AI disclosure in broadcast political ads and in AI calls were never adopted, and no federal AI political ad disclaimer bill has passed. Federal efforts to preempt state AI laws (a 2025 moratorium the Senate struck 99 to 1, and Executive Order 14365) have not displaced any state election or robocall law as of October 2026.

FCC, FEC and the federal preemption fight

How Rhode Island compares

25 other jurisdictions share Rhode Island's status (disclosure):

Alabama · Arizona · Colorado · Delaware · Florida · Idaho · Indiana · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Michigan · Mississippi · Montana · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Mexico · New York · North Dakota · Oregon · South Dakota · Tennessee · Utah · Vermont · Washington · Wisconsin

See Rhode Island on the mapPolitical deepfake laws, all statesDisclaimer generatorRhode Island 2026 elections

HyperPhonebank

Voter contact that clears Rhode Island's AI rules before the first dial.

Live professional callers and AI voice programs for voter ID, persuasion, ballot chase and GOTV, scripted to the disclosure and consent rules on this page, with every call graded and a real time dashboard.

Frequently asked questions

Does Rhode Island regulate AI in political ads?

Yes. Since July 2, 2025, a candidate, campaign committee, PAC, party committee, or anyone making an independent expenditure may not, within 90 days of an election at which a candidate will appear on the ballot, distribute synthetic media they know or should know is deceptive and fraudulent. The ban lifts if the media includes a disclosure that it has been manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence, shown in readable type (no smaller than the largest other text, and for the full length of a video) or, for audio, read at the start, the end, and every two minutes. Depicted candidates (including incumbents) can sue for an injunction and for damages against whoever generated the media, but must prove the violation by clear and convincing evidence. There is no criminal penalty. Key law (S 816 Sub A and H 5872 Sub A (2025), Public Laws 2025 ch. 410 and ch. 409, R.I. Gen. Laws 17-30-1 to 17-30-4).

What AI disclaimer does Rhode Island require on political ads?

Rhode Island does not prescribe exact wording. Since July 2, 2025, a candidate, campaign committee, PAC, party committee, or anyone making an independent expenditure may not, within 90 days of an election at which a candidate will appear on the ballot, distribute synthetic media they know or should know is deceptive and fraudulent. The ban lifts if the media includes a disclosure that it has been manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence, shown in readable type (no smaller than the largest other text, and for the full length of a video) or, for audio, read at the start, the end, and every two minutes. Depicted candidates (including incumbents) can sue for an injunction and for damages against whoever generated the media, but must prove the violation by clear and convincing evidence. There is no criminal penalty.

What is the penalty for a deceptive political deepfake in Rhode Island?

Civil: General or special damages against the party that generated the synthetic media; court may award prevailing party reasonable attorney fees and costs. Private lawsuits: Yes. A candidate depicted in violating synthetic media may seek an injunction or other equitable relief against the distributing candidate, committee, PAC, party, or independent spender, and damages against whoever generated it. Clear and convincing evidence standard.

When does the Rhode Island political deepfake law apply?

within 90 days of any election at which a candidate for elective office will appear on the ballot. It covers images, audio recordings, and video recordings of an individual's appearance, speech, or conduct intentionally manipulated with generative adversarial network techniques or other digital technology to create a realistic but false depiction that gives a fundamentally different impression than the original.

Can a campaign use an AI voice for robocalls in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island has no AI-specific rule for political calls. The synthetic media law (R.I. Gen. Laws 17-30) covers audio, so a robocall from a campaign or independent spender that uses an AI-manipulated voice of a real candidate within 90 days of an election must read the AI disclosure at the beginning, the end, and every two minutes. A generic AI voice that does not depict a real individual is not synthetic media under this law. Rhode Island also makes it a misdemeanor (fine up to $200 per occurrence) to operate an automatic telephone dialing system that fails to disconnect within 5 seconds after the called party hangs up (R.I. Gen. Laws 11-35-26), with no political exemption in the text. Federal TCPA rules on artificial voices also apply. Under federal law, the FCC ruled in February 2024 that AI-generated voices are "artificial" voices under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, so prerecorded or AI voice calls to cell phones need prior express consent, and every such call must identify the caller at the start.

How many political AI laws does Rhode Island have?

This tracker counts 3 Rhode Island AI laws touching politics and elections as of October 5, 2026: 1 on elections, 2 on AI or artificial voice calls.

Are there pending AI election bills in Rhode Island?

None found (Public Citizen's tracker lists no further Rhode Island election deepfake bills after the 2025 enactments.): No election AI bills pending.

Sources

Verified October 5, 2026 against official legislature and statute pages. This page summarizes Rhode Island law for campaigns and is not legal advice.