A Democratic bill with 8 Republican cosponsors · See all 15 cosponsors
Last activity — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 446.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "NO FAKES Act of 2026," establishes a property right to an individual's voice and visual likeness. It specifically targets the use of "digital replicas," which are highly realistic, computer-generated representations of a person. The act allows individuals or their right holders to authorize the use of these digital replicas. It also creates legal liability for the unauthorized distribution of such replicas or related products. Additionally, the bill outlines safe harbors for online services and establishes a system for notifications and counter-notifications.
Yes· 3 of 11
- Scored +7
Would children be better off under this?
The act mandates stricter licensing requirements and court approval for the digital replicas of minors.
- Scored +6
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
The bill establishes a legal property right over a person's digital voice and visual likeness.
- Scored +6
Does this make patent and copyright rules fairer?
The bill creates a federal right to protect an individual's voice and visual likeness from unauthorized digital replicas.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection of Personal Likeness: Individuals and their right holders gain the specific right to authorize the use of their voice or visual likeness in digital replicas (Section 2(b)(1)).
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Control Over Post-Mortem Rights: The bill ensures that rights to a voice or visual likeness can continue after an individual's death, allowing heirs or executors to manage and license these rights (Section 2(b)(2)(A)(ii)).
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Protection for Minors: The act includes specific, stricter requirements for licenses involving individuals under 18 years of age, such as requiring court approval (Section 2(b)(2)(B)(ii)).
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Legal Recourse for Unauthorized Use: Individuals or eligible plaintiffs can bring civil actions to seek damages, such as $5,000 per work, if their digital replica is used without authorization (Section 2(e)(5)(A)(i)).
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Mechanism to Identify Violators: The bill provides a way for right holders to request a subpoena to identify those who have used their likeness without permission (Section 2(f)(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on Creative Uses: Certain uses, such as those in news, documentaries, or historical/biographical representations, may be subject to specific limitations or exclusions (Section 2(c)(5)(A)).
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Burden of Compliance for Online Services: Online service providers must implement policies for terminating repeat violators and must act quickly to remove unauthorized material upon receiving a notice (Section 2(d)(1)(B)).
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Financial Penalties for Misrepresentation: Individuals or entities that provide false or deceptive notifications or counter-notifications may be held liable for significant fines, such as $25,000 (Section 2(d)(5)(B)).
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Limitations on Liability for Coincidental Resemblance: A person might not be held liable if the resemblance to a voice or likeness is purely coincidental and the individual lacks public recognition or commercial value (Section 2(e)(3)(A)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — The act mandates stricter licensing requirements and court approval for the digital replicas of minors. Would high-income households be better off under this? — Public figures and high-earning entertainers benefit from enhanced control over their commercial likeness. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill allows heirs and executors to manage and license likeness rights after death. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The bill provides legal mechanisms to protect personal identity from digital imitation.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill establishes a legal property right over a person's digital voice and visual likeness. Does this make patent and copyright rules fairer? — The bill creates a federal right to protect an individual's voice and visual likeness from unauthorized digital replicas.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill provides individuals with a legal mechanism to protect their voice and visual likeness from digital replication. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill establishes federal preemption over certain state law causes of action regarding digital replicas in expressive works. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the Register of Copyrights to maintain a public directory of post-mortem rights.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill protects individuals from the unauthorized use of their digital likeness and voice.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make child care cost less? — The bill provides extra protection for the likeness rights of minors through court-approved licenses.
- 6/24/2026
- Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 446.
- 6/18/2026
- Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 6/16/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 5/20/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 13 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Marsha BlackburnRepublican · Tennessee
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Katie BrittRepublican · Alabama
Bill CassidyRepublican · Louisiana
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Bill HagertyRepublican · Tennessee
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
James LankfordRepublican · Oklahoma
Ashley MoodyRepublican · Florida
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat · Michigan
Rick ScottRepublican · Florida
Thomas TillisRepublican · North Carolina
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont