Louisiana AI Laws and Regulation (2026)

Louisiana regulates AI through targeted criminal statutes rather than a comprehensive framework. R.S. 14:73.13, enacted in 2023, criminalizes sexual deepfakes of minors and of nonconsenting adults alike, carrying 10 to 30 years at hard labor for distribution. Since August 1, 2026, state law also requires an artificial intelligence disclosure on electioneering communications that portray a candidate. The state's Division of Administration separately governs AI use by all state agencies, requiring human oversight and labeling of AI-generated content.

Artificial intelligence regulation in Louisiana is in a formative stage. The state has enacted targeted criminal laws addressing AI-generated deepfakes, along with a disclosure requirement for AI-generated election communications, but it has not passed comprehensive AI governance legislation. With at least 18 AI bills filed for the 2026 legislative session, Louisiana lawmakers moved aggressively to regulate how AI is used across criminal conduct, healthcare, political campaigns, consumer transactions, and the workplace.

This guide covers Louisiana's current AI laws, the 2026 session outcomes, executive branch AI policies, and how federal developments affect the state.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. AI regulation is evolving rapidly. Consult a licensed Louisiana attorney for advice about your specific situation.

Enacted AI Laws in Louisiana

Louisiana does not have a comprehensive AI regulatory framework like Illinois's HB 3773 (Colorado's SB 24-205 was repealed and replaced by the narrower SB 26-189 before it ever took effect). Instead, the state has taken a targeted approach, enacting criminal statutes that address specific harmful uses of AI technology and, since 2026, a disclosure rule for AI in election communications. The Louisiana State Legislature has focused primarily on deepfake-related crimes.

R.S. 14:73.13: Unlawful Deepfakes

Louisiana's most significant AI law is R.S. 14:73.13, enacted by Acts 2023, No. 457, and amended by Act 782 of the 2026 Regular Session. The statute criminalizes the creation, possession, and distribution of sexual deepfake material. Its creation-and-possession offense is limited to material depicting a minor, but its distribution offense reaches deepfakes of any person, adults included, whenever the depicted person did not consent.

The law defines a "deepfake" as any audio or visual media in an electronic format, including any motion picture film or video recording, that is created, altered, or digitally manipulated in a manner that would falsely appear to a reasonable observer to be an authentic record of the actual speech or conduct of the individual.

That definition carries an express carve-out. "Deepfake" does not include material that constitutes a work of political, public interest, or newsworthy value, including commentary, criticism, satire, or parody. It also excludes material that carries content, context, or a clear disclosure visible throughout the recording that would cause a reasonable person to understand the media is not a record of a real event. Those exclusions are why R.S. 14:73.13 was never a general-purpose political deepfake law.

Penalties under R.S. 14:73.13:

These penalties are among the most severe in the nation for AI-generated sexual exploitation material. The statute treats AI-generated child sexual abuse material with the same seriousness as traditional child exploitation offenses, and it gives adult victims of nonconsensual sexual deepfakes a felony remedy rather than only the misdemeanor-level provisions of R.S. 14:73.14.

R.S. 14:73.14: Nonconsensual AI-Generated Intimate Images

Louisiana also enacted R.S. 14:73.14, which addresses the nonconsensual dissemination or sale of AI-generated intimate images of another person. Under this statute, it is unlawful to disseminate or sell any video or still image created by artificial intelligence that depicts another person in a state of nudity when done with the intent to coerce, harass, or intimidate.

The statute specifically covers images showing a person who is "totally nude or in a state of undress so as to expose the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast." The person disseminating the content must know or have reason to know that they lack authorization to distribute the material.

Act 782 of the 2026 Regular Session raised the penalty. The baseline offense moved from up to six months and a $750 fine to imprisonment with or without hard labor for up to one year, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Where the depicted person is under the age of 17, the term rises to up to five years, with at least one year imposed without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. As under R.S. 14:73.13, an offender who is an educator and whose victim is a student may receive an additional two years, served consecutively.

This law fills an important gap in Louisiana's existing revenge porn statute by explicitly covering AI-generated synthetic media rather than just authentic photographs or videos.

R.S. 14:73.14.1: Unlawful Possession of AI-Created Images

Act 782, cited as "The Ivy Daniels Act," also created a new possession crime. R.S. 14:73.14.1 makes it unlawful to possess any video or still image created by artificial intelligence that depicts another person who is under the age of 17 and totally nude or in a state of undress exposing the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breasts, when the possessor knows or has reason to know they are not authorized to possess it.

The offense carries imprisonment with or without hard labor for up to five years, with at least one year imposed without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. An educator whose victim is a student faces an additional two consecutive years. An offender under the age of 14 is handled exclusively under Title VII of the Louisiana Children's Code, and the section does not apply to interactive computer services, email service providers, or a person who neither intended nor consented to receive the image.

The same act amended Louisiana's sexting statute (R.S. 14:81.1.1) to cover AI-created images and requires public school principals to distribute information about these offenses to students in grade six and above, and to their parents or guardians, during the first five days of each school year.

Deepfake Laws and Elections

Governor's Veto of the 2024 Political Deepfake Bill

In 2024, the Louisiana Legislature passed HB 154 by Representative Mandie Landry, which would have prohibited the use of AI-generated deepfakes to deceive voters in elections.

Governor Jeff Landry vetoed the bill on June 20, 2024, stating: "While I applaud the efforts to prevent false political attacks, I believe this bill creates serious First Amendment concerns as it relates to emerging technologies. The law is far from settled on this issue, and I believe more information is needed before such regulations are enshrined into law."

The governor also vetoed a companion bill that would have required deepfake media to carry watermark disclosures. For the two years that followed, AI-generated content in Louisiana political advertising faced no specific legal restrictions.

Act 806 (HB 459): AI Disclosure on Electioneering Communications

Representative Mandie Landry returned to the issue in 2026, and this time the bill became law. HB 459 passed the House 67-34 and the Senate 35-2, was signed by the governor on June 9, 2026 as Act 806, and took effect August 1, 2026.

Act 806 amends R.S. 18:1463 to prohibit making, or causing to be made, any electioneering communication that portrays a candidate or an elected official subject to recall and that has been created, altered, or digitally manipulated through artificial intelligence in a manner that would falsely appear to a reasonable observer to be an authentic record of that person's actual speech or conduct, unless the communication carries a clear and understandable disclosure that it was created using artificial intelligence. The disclosure must follow the same form rules as the existing paid-for disclosure: audible and visible for at least three seconds in visual and oral announcements, and in digital material sized at least as large as the smallest text in the item, with reasonable color contrast.

A violation is punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, imprisonment with or without hard labor for up to two years, or both, but only where the violation is committed with the intent to injure the reputation of a candidate or elected official subject to recall or to otherwise deceive a voter. The requirement does not apply to a media entity that broadcasts a paid political announcement, advertisement, or electioneering communication over which the broadcaster had no input or control.

The act also broadened the definition of "electioneering communication." It previously reached broadcast, cable, or satellite communications aired within 60 days of an election; it now covers any printed, digital, or broadcast communication containing express advocacy for or against a candidate, a recall, or a ballot proposition. That change substantially widens the reach of the new AI disclosure duty.

Executive Branch AI Policy

Division of Administration AI Acceptable Use Policy

The Louisiana Division of Administration, through its Office of Technology Services (OTS), issued a comprehensive AI Acceptable Use Policy governing all state agencies. This policy applies to all state government entities under OTS authority, pursuant to Act 712 of the 2014 Regular Legislative Session.

Key provisions of the policy include:

Covered Technologies: The policy governs machine learning algorithms, automated decision-making systems, generative AI and large language models, and cognitive computing applications used by state agencies.

Data Governance: All state agencies must ensure AI use complies with agency data governance policies, data classification standards, record retention schedules, and Louisiana public records laws.

Ownership: All AI-generated outputs created on behalf of the State of Louisiana are state property. Users waive any rights of ownership or authorship in such outputs.

Prohibited Uses: State employees may not use AI to independently make business decisions, bypass security controls, or create material without labeling it as AI-generated.

Incident Reporting: Unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential state data in AI systems must be reported to the OTS Information Security Team at infosecteam@la.gov or by calling 844-692-8019.

K-12 Education AI Guidance

The Louisiana Department of Education released guidance in August 2024 for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in K-12 classrooms. This guidance establishes frameworks for how teachers and students can use AI tools while maintaining academic integrity and student data privacy.

Louisiana Board of Regents AI Policy

The Louisiana Board of Regents adopted a policy on the responsible, ethical, and secure use of AI in higher education institutions across the state. This policy provides guidelines for colleges and universities in the Louisiana system.

Legislative Study Committee

Through SCR 49 (2023 Regular Session), Louisiana established a legislative study initiative. This resolution directed the Joint Committee on Technology and Cybersecurity to study the impact of artificial intelligence on state operations, procurement, and policy. The resolution also provided an early working definition of AI for state purposes.

AI Legislation in the 2026 Session

The 2026 Louisiana legislative session saw a surge of AI-related proposals, with at least 18 bills filed covering criminal conduct, healthcare, political campaigns, consumer transactions, and workplace AI use. Industry pushback slowed broader efforts, and the session ultimately sent four AI bills to the governor: SB 42, SB 110, HB 119, and HB 459. All four took effect August 1, 2026. Healthcare, insurance, mental health chatbot, and employment AI proposals all failed.

Child Exploitation Laws: SB 42 (Act 892) and SB 110 (Act 211)

Senate Bill 42 by Senator Rick Edmonds (R-Baton Rouge) prohibits using artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse materials. The bill passed the Louisiana Senate 36-0, passed the House, and was signed into law as Act 892, effective August 1, 2026.

Senate Bill 110 by Senator Heather Cloud (R-Turkey Creek) bars using a child's image to train an artificial intelligence model to produce child sexual abuse materials. This addresses a gap in existing law by targeting the training process itself rather than just the output. The bill was signed into law as Act 211, effective August 1, 2026.

HB 119 (Act 782): The Ivy Daniels Act

House Bill 119 by Representative Bryan Fontenot passed the House 101-0 and the Senate 34-0 and was signed as Act 782 on June 9, 2026. It is the session's most substantial change to Louisiana's AI criminal law: it created the new possession offense at R.S. 14:73.14.1, raised the penalties under R.S. 14:73.14, added educator-and-student sentencing enhancements to both R.S. 14:73.13 and R.S. 14:73.14, extended the sexting statute to AI-created images, and required schools to inform students and parents about these offenses each year. The provisions are described in detail in the sections above.

HB 459 (Act 806): Election AI Disclosure

House Bill 459 by Representative Mandie Landry requires a clear disclosure when an electioneering communication portraying a candidate or an elected official subject to recall was created using artificial intelligence, with a fine of up to $2,000 and up to two years of imprisonment for violations committed with intent to injure a candidate's reputation or deceive a voter. It is covered in the elections section above.

Healthcare AI Bills That Failed

House Bill 114 by Representative Domangue would have regulated the use of artificial intelligence by healthcare providers, confining clinicians to using AI for analytical and administrative work while blocking autonomous diagnosis or treatment. All AI recommendations involving patient care would have had to occur under the supervision of licensed healthcare professionals, with violations subject to civil penalties of up to $10,000 per infraction and Louisiana Department of Health investigative authority. The bill was filed in the 2025 Regular Session and stalled in the House Health and Welfare Committee after an April 29, 2025 hearing; it was not enacted and was not refiled under this number in 2026.

Senate Bill 246 would have required insurers to have a licensed human reviewer sign off on any coverage decisions made by an AI system, mandated a process for policyholders to appeal those decisions, and required insurers to disclose when an AI or automated decision system was used in any part of the coverage determination. The bill was withdrawn from the Senate on May 28, 2026, and did not pass.

Mental Health Chatbot Regulation

Senate Bill 5 by Senator Bob Hensgens targeted mental health chatbots specifically. The bill would have required AI-powered mental health tools to disclose that they are AI, limited how they share user data, and set rules for handling self-harm disclosures. It did not advance out of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee and did not become law.

Workplace AI and Consumer Protection

Other 2026 proposals addressing automated hiring decisions and AI disclosures to consumers also failed to reach the governor. The business lobby pushed back particularly strongly against employment AI regulations.

AI in Employment

Louisiana does not currently have any enacted legislation specifically regulating the use of AI in employment and hiring decisions. The state's existing employment discrimination framework spans several parts of the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law. R.S. 23:332 prohibits intentional discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, military status, and natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle. Separate parts of the same chapter separately prohibit age discrimination against individuals 40 and older (R.S. 23:311-23:312) and disability discrimination (R.S. 23:322-23:324).

These existing protections would theoretically apply to AI-driven hiring tools that produce discriminatory outcomes. If an AI screening tool systematically disadvantages applicants based on a protected characteristic, an employer could face liability under Louisiana's anti-discrimination statutes.

However, Louisiana lacks the specific AI hiring requirements found in states like Illinois (which requires disclosure and consent for AI video interview analysis), Colorado (which mandates deployer risk assessments for high-risk AI systems), or New York City (which requires bias audits of automated employment decision tools under Local Law 144).

Bills that would have addressed this gap were filed in 2026 but did not pass, and business advocacy groups resisted them.

Federal AI Policy Impact on Louisiana

TAKE IT DOWN Act

The federal TAKE IT DOWN Act (P.L. 119-12), signed May 19, 2025, creates a federal floor for nonconsensual intimate deepfakes. This law criminalizes the publication of AI-generated intimate images without consent, with penalties of up to 2 years for adult victims and 3 years for minor victims. Louisiana's R.S. 14:73.13, R.S. 14:73.14, and R.S. 14:73.14.1 provide additional state-level penalties that can stack on top of federal charges.

Trump Administration Executive Orders

President Trump's Executive Order 14179 (January 2025) revoked the Biden-era AI safety executive order and shifted federal policy toward deregulation. EO 14365 (December 2025) established a DOJ AI Litigation Task Force that could challenge state AI laws.

For Louisiana, this federal approach remains broadly compatible with the state's posture, which is criminal-law-first and stops short of a comprehensive AI regulatory framework, though the 2026 election disclosure law moved the state closer to the majority of states that regulate AI in campaign communications.

Federal Preemption Concerns

If Congress passes comprehensive AI legislation, it could preempt some Louisiana state laws. However, most legal scholars agree that state criminal statutes like Louisiana's deepfake laws would likely survive federal preemption because they address conduct (child exploitation, harassment) rather than regulating AI technology itself.

Looking Ahead

The 2026 session was Louisiana's most productive on AI to date, producing four laws that all took effect August 1, 2026. Every one of them was a criminal or election-integrity measure. The broader proposals, covering healthcare AI, insurance coverage decisions, mental health chatbots, automated hiring, and consumer disclosures, all failed, largely under industry pressure.

That pattern suggests Louisiana will keep extending its targeted approach rather than adopting a comprehensive AI framework in the near term. Healthcare AI and insurance coverage decisions are the most likely candidates for another attempt in a future session, since both drew bipartisan interest before stalling.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. AI regulation is evolving rapidly, and new legislation may be enacted after this article was last reviewed. Consult a licensed Louisiana attorney for advice about your specific situation. Last reviewed: September 2026.

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