republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2025/sb-1053.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Synthetic digital content; definition, penalty, report, effective clause.	Synthetic digital content; penalty; work group. Expands the applicability of provisions related to defamation, slander, and libel to include synthetic digital content, defined in the bill. The bill makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to use any synthetic digital content for the purpose of committing any criminal offense involving fraud, constituting a separate and distinct offense with punishment separate and apart from any punishment received for the commission of the primary criminal offense. The bill also authorizes the individual depicted in the synthetic digital content to bring a civil action against the person who violates such prohibition to recover actual damages, reasonable attorney fees, and such other relief as the court determines to be appropriate. The bill directs the Attorney General to convene a work group to study and make recommendations on the current enforcement of laws related to the use of synthetic digital content, including deepfakes, and any further action needed to address the issue of such use in fraudulent acts. The substantive provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2026 Session of the General Assembly and the provisions directing the Attorney General to convene a work group become effective in due course. This bill is identical to HB 2124.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2025	SB 1053	Virginia SB 1053 (2025)	bill		enacted	Adam P. Ebbin	8	41	8	2025-01-07	2025-03-24	openstates	ocd-bill/0c6a790e-e439-406e-9c5e-8c8c4deeaf43	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB1053	f2cb8f7ba999806584f41012a6db40ae33967b3953560a44ba0549b167e5ccd4	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia SB 1053 (2025) — Synthetic digital content; definition, penalty, report, effective clause.

Synthetic digital content; penalty; work group. Expands the applicability of provisions related to defamation, slander, and libel to include synthetic digital content, defined in the bill. The bill makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to use any synthetic digital content for the purpose of committing any criminal offense involving fraud, constituting a separate and distinct offense with punishment separate and apart from any punishment received for the commission of the primary criminal offense. The bill also authorizes the individual depicted in the synthetic digital content to bring a civil action against the person who violates such prohibition to recover actual damages, reasonable attorney fees, and such other relief as the court determines to be appropriate. The bill directs the Attorney General to convene a work group to study and make recommendations on the current enforcement of laws related to the use of synthetic digital content, including deepfakes, and any further action needed to address the issue of such use in fraudulent acts. The substantive provisions of the bill do not become effective unless reenacted by the 2026 Session of the General Assembly and the provisions directing the Attorney General to convene a work group become effective in due course. This bill is identical to HB 2124.

Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. Introduced (filed) — source
2. Chaptered (committee substitute) — source
3. Courts of Justice Amendment (committee substitute) — source
4. Courts of Justice Subcommittee Substitute (committee substitute) — source
5. Engrossed (committee substitute) — source
6. Reengrossed (committee substitute) — source
7. Senator Ebbin, Adam P. Amendment (committee substitute) — source
8. Enrolled (enrolled) — source

Votes

• Passed House (89-Y 8-N) — 89–8 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment (15-Y 0-N) — 15–0 (pass) · upper
• Reconsideration of Engrossment agreed to (39-Y 0-N) — 39–0 (pass) · upper
• Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Courts of Justice (22-Y 0-N) — 22–0 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 1-N) — 7–1 (pass) · lower
• Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 0-N) — 39–0 (pass) · upper
• Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) — 39–0 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Adam P. Ebbin — primary (person)

Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

• 2025-01-07 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-08-2025 25101514D filing, introduction
• 2025-01-07 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice referral-committee
• 2025-01-20 Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2025-01-21 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1053)
• 2025-01-21 Rules suspended
• 2025-01-21 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N)
• 2025-01-21 Passed by for the day
• 2025-01-22 Read second time reading-2
• 2025-01-22 Reading of amendment waived
• 2025-01-22 Courts of Justice Amendment agreed to amendment-passage
• 2025-01-22 Engrossed by Senate as amended SB1053E
• 2025-01-22 Printed as engrossed 25101514D-E
• 2025-01-23 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1053)
• 2025-01-23 Rules suspended
• 2025-01-23 Reconsideration of Engrossment agreed to (39-Y 0-N)
• 2025-01-23 Reading of amendment waived
• 2025-01-23 Amendment by Senator Ebbin, Adam P. agreed to amendment-passage
• 2025-01-23 Reengrossed by Senate as amended
• 2025-01-23 Printed as reengrossed 25101514D-E2
• 2025-01-23 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 0-N)
• 2025-01-23 Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) passage
• 2025-01-24 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1053)
• 2025-02-04 Placed on Calendar
• 2025-02-04 Read first time reading-1
• 2025-02-04 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice referral-committee
• 2025-02-04 Assigned Courts sub: Criminal referral-committee
• 2025-02-05 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 1-N) substitution
• 2025-02-10 Reported from Courts of Justice (22-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2025-02-12 Read second time reading-2
• 2025-02-13 Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
• 2025-02-13 Read third time reading-3
• 2025-02-13 Passed House (89-Y 8-N) passage
• 2025-02-18 Enrolled enrolled
• 2025-02-18 Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB1053ER) passage
• 2025-02-18 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2025-02-19 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB1053)
• 2025-02-20 Signed by President passage
• 2025-03-03 Enrolled Bill Communicated to Governor on March 3, 2025 enrolled
• 2025-03-03 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 24, 2025 executive-receipt
• 2025-03-24 Approved by Governor-Chapter 407 (Effective - see bill) executive-signature
• 2025-03-24 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0407)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/0c6a790e-e439-406e-9c5e-8c8c4deeaf43. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).