Washington Substitute House Bill 1999 — Fabricated Intimate or Sexually Explicit Images and Depictions
Washington · Substitute H.B. 1999, Ch. 88, Laws of 2024 (Wash.)
Washington expanded its child sexual abuse material laws to cover fabricated depictions of an identifiable minor, including AI-created images, and created a separate crime for knowingly disclosing a fabricated intimate image of another person when the discloser knows or should know the person did not consent and that disclosure would cause harm. A first disclosure offense is a gross misdemeanor and repeats are a class C felony. Victims may also sue for damages.
Technical detail
Substitute HB 1999 (Chapter 88, Laws of 2024) amends Washington's CSAM and disclosure-of-intimate-images statutes to reach fabricated (including AI-generated) depictions, imposes gross misdemeanor/class C felony liability for knowing nonconsensual disclosure, and provides a civil remedy with statutory damages up to $10,000 per defendant.
Who is protected: Identifiable minors depicted in fabricated CSAM and any person depicted in a nonconsensual fabricated intimate image.
Who must comply: Any person who creates, distributes, possesses, or discloses covered fabricated images.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Washington |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2024-06-06 |
| Enacted | 2024-03-14 |
| Citation | Substitute H.B. 1999, Ch. 88, Laws of 2024 (Wash.) |
| Enforced by | Washington county prosecutors and law enforcement (criminal); affected individuals via civil action. |
| Private right of action | Yes — individuals can sue |
| Penalties | Disclosure of a fabricated intimate image is a gross misdemeanor (first offense) and a class C felony (repeat); CSAM offenses carry existing child-pornography penalties. Civil liability includes the greater of actual or up to $10,000 statutory damages per defendant, plus possible punitive damages, attorney fees, and injunctive relief. |
| Topics | children's online safety · non-consensual intimate imagery · AI-generated images · deepfakes |
| Last verified | 2026-06-16 |
| Official source | Substitute House Bill 1999, Chapter 88, Laws of 2024 (Session Law) ↗ |
More AI rules in Washington
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Washington HB 2225 (AI chatbot disclosure, minor protections, crisis protocols) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Washington HB 1170 (AI content watermarking & provenance metadata) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Washington SHB 1672 (employee monitoring notice, ADS restrictions, emotion AI ban) · In effect
- Washington SB 5395 (limits AI in health-insurance prior-auth denials) · In effect
- My Health My Data Act · In effect
Related children's online safety rules elsewhere
- PA v. Character.AI (Fake Psychiatrist Chatbot) · Blocked / in litigation
- RI AI Companion Self-Harm Safety (2026) · In effect
- Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act) (H.R. 7757) · Proposed / pending
- Oregon SB 1546 (AI companion chatbot disclosure + private right of action) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- xAI v. Harwood (Grok NCII Counter-Suit 2026) · Blocked / in litigation
- Blanchester OH schools AI policy EDEC (Jun. 29, 2026) · In effect
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