North Carolina HB 1161: Funds to Study & Abate Ocular Melanoma.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 1161

Short Title: Omnibus Artificial Intelligence Protections. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Logan, Cervania, Greenfield, and Hawkins (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
May 4, 2026
*H1161-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT ENACTING PROTECTIONS CONCERNING DEPLOYMENT OF ARTIFICIAL 2
INTELLIGENCE AND RELATED TECHNOLOGIES IN ELECTIONS, EDUCATION, 3
EMPLOYMENT, THE COURTS, AND THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY IN THIS STATE 4
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
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PART I. ELECTIONS 8
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PROHIBIT USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN POLITICAL 10
ADVERTISEMENTS 11
SECTION 1.1. Article 22A of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes is amended by 12
adding a new section to read: 13
"§ 163-278.18A. Prohibit use of artificial intelligence in political advertisements. 14
(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply: 15
(1) Artificial intelligence. – The capability of computer systems or algorithms to 16
imitate intelligent human behavior. The term includes generative artificial 17
intelligence. 18
(2) Political advertisement. – An advertisement as defined under 19
G.S. 163-278.38Z(1), including communications sent by email, text, or 20
appearing on a website or social media platforms. 21
(b) No candidate, candidate campaign committee, political party organization, political 22
action committee, referendum committee, individual, or other sponsor shall use artificial 23
intelligence in any form of political advertisement, including, but not limited to, images, videos, 24
voices, or writings. 25
(c) A person convicted of violating subsection (b) of this section shall be guilty of a Class 26
1 misdemeanor and pay a fine to the State Board based on the cost to produce and distribute the 27
artificial intelligence-generated political advertisement multiplied by 10. In addition, the 28
following shall apply: 29
(1) If a candidate's campaign committee is convicted for a violation under this 30
section, the campaign committee is prohibited from soliciting donations or 31
making contributions for two years from the date of conviction, regardless of 32
whether an election is occurring. 33
(2) If a political action committee is convicted for a violation under this section, 34
the political action committee shall have its bank account frozen and shall not 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 1161-First Edition
solicit donations or make contributions. The chair or director of the political 1
action committee is prohibited from (i) soliciting donations or making 2
contributions for five years from the date of conviction and (ii) establishing, 3
participating in, or working for any other political action committee during 4
that five-year period. 5
(d) Any person not affiliated with a candidate's campaign or political action committee 6
creating an artificial intelligence-generated video, writing, voice, or image of a candidate or a 7
candidate's campaign with the intent to confuse or interfere with a candidate's campaign shall be 8
subject to conviction of fraud or election interference in accordance with Article 22 of this 9
Chapter. This subsection shall not apply to (i) artificial intelligence that clearly depicts or 10
explicitly states that it is artificial intelligence or (ii) parody laws, so long as neither would qualify 11
as any form of harassment, including sexual harassment." 12
SECTION 1.2. This Part is effective when it becomes law and applies to political 13
advertisements using artificial intelligence on or after that date. 14
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PART II. EDUCATION 16
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ALLOW PUBLIC SCHOOL UNITS TO RESTRICT STUDENT USE OF ARTIFICIAL 18
INTELLIGENCE 19
SECTION 2.1.(a) Part 3A of Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is 20
amended by adding a new section to read: 21
"§ 115C-102.13. Policy for student use of artificial intelligence. 22
(a) For the purposes of this section, "artificial intelligence (AI) tool" means any 23
algorithm, product, software, or system that uses artificial intelligence to perform tasks. 24
(b) A local board of education may adopt a policy for student use of artificial intelligence. 25
If a local board of education adopts a policy pursuant to this section, the policy may include any 26
of the following: 27
(1) Allow schools to block access to AI tools on student electronic devices. 28
(2) Allow schools to block access to AI tools on internet connections available to 29
students. 30
(3) Disciplinary actions for unauthorized use of artificial intelligence, up to 31
retaining the student in the current grade for repeated violations. 32
(c) Any policy adopted pursuant to this section shall include exceptions for student use 33
of artificial intelligence if the use is authorized by a