Election Law - Election Misinformation, Election Disinformation, and Deepfakes
Maryland Legislative Events
Summary
Maryland Senate Bill 141 has passed both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly. The bill requires the State Administrator of Elections to take action and communicate correct information to the public upon receiving credible reports of election misinformation or disinformation, including deepfakes. The legislation prohibits persons from knowingly or with reckless disregard creating, using, or disseminating deepfakes to produce materially false election information. The bill passed the Senate 44-0 and the House 85-38 before being enrolled on April 14, 2026.
What changed
Maryland SB141 adds new requirements for the State Administrator of Elections to address election misinformation and deepfakes by disseminating accurate information to the public when credible reports are received. The bill creates a prohibition against knowingly or with reckless disregard creating, using, or distributing deepfakes that produce materially false information about elections.
Affected parties including political candidates, campaign organizations, media entities, and individuals involved in election-related communications should monitor for the bill's signing and effective date. Once enacted, violations of the deepfake prohibition could result in civil penalties and criminal fines under the bill's penalties and sentences provisions.
What to do next
- Monitor for the Governor's signature and effective date of SB141
- Review internal policies regarding election-related communications and deepfakes
- Ensure compliance with requirements upon bill taking effect
Archived snapshot
Apr 14, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
ChangeBridge / Maryland / SB141 Passed SB141 Senate Bill Passed 2026-04-14
Election Law - Election Misinformation, Election Disinformation, and Deepfakes
Requiring the State Administrator of Elections to take certain actions if the State Administrator receives a credible report that election misinformation or election disinformation, including a deepfake, has been or is being communicated, disseminated, or distributed; requiring the Administrator to communicate correct information to the public; prohibiting a person, under certain circumstances, from knowingly or with reckless disregard, creating, using or disseminating a deepfake to produce materially false information; etc.
Bill Details
State Maryland
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber Senate
Official Source mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation...
LegiScan View on LegiScan
Sponsors
Katie Hester (Sen - D) Benjamin Brooks (Sen - D) Brian Feldman (Sen - D) Kevin Harris (Sen - D) Cheryl Kagan (Sen - D) Mary Washington (Sen - D)
Action History
2026-04-14 S Passed Enrolled 2026-04-13 H Third Reading Passed (85-38) 2026-04-13 H Conference Committee Report {173226/1 Adopted 2026-04-13 S Third Reading Passed (28-4) 2026-04-13 S Conference Committee Report {173226/1 Adopted 2026-04-13 S House Conference Committee Appointed (Delegates Fair, Clippinger and Tomlinson) 2026-04-13 S House Refuses Recede 2026-04-13 H House Conference Committee Appointed (Delegates Fair, Clippinger and Tomlinson) 2026-04-13 H House Refuses Recede 2026-04-13 H Senate Conference Committee Appointed (Senators Hester, Watson and Gallion) 2026-04-13 H Senate Requests House Recede 2026-04-13 H Senate Refuses Concur House Amendments 2026-04-13 S Senate Conference Committee Appointed (Senators Hester, Watson and Gallion) 2026-04-13 S Senate Requests House Recede 2026-04-13 S Senate Refuses Concur House Amendments 2026-04-10 H Third Reading Passed (95-35) 2026-04-09 H Second Reading Passed with Amendments 2026-04-09 H Motion Special Order until Next Session (Delegate Fair) Adopted 2026-04-09 H Favorable with Amendments {433522/1 Adopted 2026-04-09 H Favorable with Amendments Report by Government, Labor, and Elections 2026-03-24 H Hearing 4/01 at 1:00 p.m. 2026-02-13 H Referred Government, Labor, and Elections 2026-02-12 S Third Reading Passed (44-0) 2026-02-10 S Second Reading Passed with Amendments 2026-02-10 S Floor Amendment {253621/1 (Senator Hester) Adopted 2026-02-05 S Motion Special Order until 2/10 (Senator Hester) Adopted 2026-02-05 S Motion Returned Second Reading (Senator Hester) Adopted 2026-02-03 S Second Reading Passed with Amendments 2026-02-03 S Favorable with Amendments {103824/1 Adopted 2026-02-02 S Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment 2026-01-14 S Hearing 1/21 at 11:00 a.m. 2026-01-14 S First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment 2025-07-16 S Pre-filed
Votes
2026-02-12 Third Reading Passed Yea: 44 Nay: 0
Committee Referrals
2026-01-14 S Education, Energy, and the Environment 2026-02-13 H Government, Labor, and Elections
Amendments
2026-02-03 Favorable with Amendments 103824/1 Adopted Adopted 2026-02-10 Floor Amendment 253621/1 (Senator Hester) Adopted Adopted 2026-04-09 Favorable with Amendments 433522/1 Adopted Adopted 2026-04-13 Conference Committee Report 173226/1 Adopted Adopted
Bill Text Versions
2026-01-10 Introduced 2026-02-03 Engrossed
Subjects
Elections Advertising Civil Actions Communications Damages Deepfakes Elections, State Board of Federal Government Fines Fraud internet News Media Penalties and Sentences Political Candidates Radio Records Reports Subpoenas Television Voting Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
Named provisions
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