News & Press Releases

Rep. Scott Bottoms to Introduce AI and Personal Identity Protection Bill at Start of2026 Legislative Session

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Colorado Springs, Colorado - At the opening of Colorado’s 2026 legislative session, Representative Scott Bottoms (House District 15) will formally introduce legislation designed to protect Coloradans from the unauthorized use of their personal biometric and identifying features in artificial intelligence–driven and digital content.

The bill prohibits the use of an individual’s fingerprint, voiceprint, facial geometry, retinal or iris data, or similar personally identifying features without explicit permission. It applies to the use of these features in advertisements, deepfakes, digital images, videos, audio recordings, and other digital depictions. The legislation establishes criminal penalties for unlawful use and provides a civil cause of action for individuals who are harmed, while clearly preserving First Amendment protections for news reporting, public affairs, satire, parody, and other constitutionally protected activity.

Representative Bottoms emphasized that although many of his legislative efforts focused on parental rights and child safety have been consistently blocked by Democratic leadership in recent sessions, he believes this proposal presents a clear opportunity for bipartisan cooperation.

“Protecting people from having their identity, likeness, or voice stolen and weaponized by artificial intelligence should not be a partisan issue,” Bottoms said. “This is about consent, personal dignity, and ensuring our laws keep pace with rapidly advancing technology.”

The legislation aligns with Rep. Bottoms’ broader focus on artificial intelligence policy, which has been a central pillar of his campaign for Governor of Colorado. He has repeatedly called for Colorado to take AI seriously, both to protect citizens and to position the state for long-term economic growth.

As part of that vision, Bottoms has advanced proposals to modernize Colorado’s energy and technology infrastructure, including leveraging next-generation nuclear energy to support AI and data-center power demands. He has also highlighted Colorado’s long-standing economic and technological relationship with Taiwan as a strategic foundation for building a global hub for AI infrastructure, semiconductor collaboration, and innovation.

“Colorado has an opportunity to lead the world in responsible AI,” Bottoms said. “That means putting strong guardrails around personal identity while also building the infrastructure and partnerships needed to reboot our economy and compete globally.”

The bill will be formally read and assigned to committee in the coming days as the 2026 legislative session gets underway.

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