Virginia House of Delegates bill in Session 2026.
Status: enacted. Latest action: April 13, 2026.
Unauthorized use of voice or likeness; punitive damages, statute of limitations.
Unauthorized use of name, portrait, voice, likeness, or picture of any person; digital replica; civil liability; statute of limitations. Expands the existing ability for any person to maintain a suit in equity, including the accompanying remedies available, for the unauthorized use of his name, portrait, or picture for advertising purposes or for purposes of trade to include the unauthorized use of his voice or likeness. The bill creates civil liability for a person who produces, distributes, or makes available the digital replica, defined in the bill, of a person's voice or likeness in an expressive audiovisual work or sound recording without first obtaining prior written consent as specified and with exceptions enumerated in the bill. The bill also extends the current statute of limitations for such civil suits from 20 years to 100 years after the death of such person. The bill contains a reenactment clause.
| Date | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-13 | Introduced | Bill introduced |
| 2026-04-13 | Status | enacted |
| 2026-04-13 | Latest Action | Approved by Governor-Chapter 629 (effective 7/1/2026) |