# Maine LD 517: An Act Regarding Synthetic Media in Campaign Advertising Maine LD 517, An Act Regarding Synthetic Media in Campaign Advertising, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Amy Kuhn (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-03-23 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 593) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD517-132 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maine LD 517 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act Regarding Synthetic Media in Campaign Advertising - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-07 - Last action: 2026-03-23, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 593 - Sponsor: Amy Kuhn (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS - FREE SPEECH - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (93 yes, 79 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Clear labels on AI altered campaign ads: benefit, low. The law requires a clear warning on political ads that use synthetic media. Any ad that already needs a disclosure must add this exact line if it includes such content: "THIS COMMUNICATION CONTAINS AUDIO, VIDEO AND/OR IMAGES THAT HAVE BEEN MANIPULATED OR ALTERED." The commission sets the size and p… - Large fines for synthetic media violations: cost, high. If you pay for a political ad that breaks the disclosure rules, you can be fined up to 100% of what you spent. If the violation is of the synthetic media rule, the fine can be up to 500% of the spending. The commission may waive a fine if you fix the problem within 10 days after notice, but this do… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Amy Kuhn (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-12 | Senate | ACCEPT MAJORITY OUGHT TO PASS AS AMENDED REPORT | pass | 20 | 14 | | | 2026-03-10 | House | ACC MAJ OTP AS AMENDED REP | pass | 73 | 65 | | ## Actions (9) - 2026-03-23: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 593 - 2026-03-19: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2026-03-18: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2026-03-17: COMMITTEE ON BILLS IN THE SECOND READING REPORTS NO FURTHER VERBAL AMENDMENTS NECESSARY. REPORT ACCEPTED.READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (H-837), in concurrence.Ordered sent down forthwith. (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Reports READOn motion by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report ACCEPTED. Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 759 Yeas 20 - Nays 14 - Excused 1 - Absent 0 Bill READ ONCE. Committee Amendment "A" (H-837) READ and ADOPTED. ASSIGNED FOR SECOND READING NEXT LEGISLATIVE DAY. (Senate) - 2026-03-10: Reports READ.On motion of Representative KUHN of Falmouth, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.ROLL CALL NO. 641(Yeas 73 - Nays 65 - Absent 11 - Excused 1 - Vacant 1)The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-837) was READ and ADOPTED.Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-837). Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-25: Carried over, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 800. (House) - 2025-03-21: Carried over, in the same posture, to the next special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 519. (House) - 2025-02-07: Received by the Clerk of the House on February 7, 2025.The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401. (House) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (H-837), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0335&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0335&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0335&item=1&snum=132) ## Related bills - LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed) - LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed) - LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed) - LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed) - LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed) - LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed) ## Sources - [Amendment C-A (H-837), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0335&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0335&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0335&item=1&snum=132) ## Related - [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132) - [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132) - [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132) - [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132) - [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132) - [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132) - [Maine bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine/bills) - [Maine state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD517-132 (as of 2026-10-19).