Bill · H.R. 8323· House(119-HR-8323)
SOUL Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 4/16/2026
- Last activity
- 4/16/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Andy Biggs
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The SOUL Act of 2026 aims to amend title 17 of the United States Code to establish sovereign ownership rights in unique likeness for U.S. citizens. This legislation seeks to protect individuals against unauthorized digital replications and various abuses. It defines a unique likeness to include traits such as name, image, voice, and biometric identifiers. Under this act, owners have exclusive rights to reproduce or distribute their likeness. These rights last for the individual's life plus 50 years.
Yes· 3 of 7
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?+8
The act establishes sovereign ownership over personal traits including biometric identifiers, voice, and image to prevent unauthorized digital replication.
Does this give people more control over their personal data?+7
The bill grants individuals control over their biometric and genetic identity markers used in digital and AI contexts.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+6
The bill provides consumers with legal recourse and statutory damages against the unauthorized use of their personal likeness and digital replicas.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Control Over Personal Identity: U.S. citizens gain exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, publicly display, perform, or create derivative works based on their unique likeness, which includes names, images, voices, and digital replicas (Sec. 1402(a)).
-
Protection Against Unauthorized Replications: The bill specifically prohibits unauthorized digital replicas or synthetic media (Sec. 1402(a)).
-
Financial Redress for Violations: Owners can seek actual damages or statutory damages ranging from $750 to $30,000 per violation, with up to $150,000 for willful violations (Sec. 1404(a)).
-
Presumption of Harm: In legal actions, the owner does not need to prove economic or reputational harm because harm is presumed (Sec. 1404(a)(4)).
-
Long-term Ownership: These rights endure for the life of the individual plus 50 years after death (Sec. 1402(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Restrictions on Use: The rights granted are inalienable except through voluntary waiver or license, which limits how these traits can be handled outside of a personal license (Sec. 1402(c)).
-
Legal Burden for Platforms: Interactive computer services may be held liable if they fail to remove unauthorized content after receiving a valid takedown notice (Sec. 1404(b)).
-
Limitation of State Rights: This federal law preempts any State law that provides equivalent rights or remedies for unique likeness (Sec. 1405(a)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Seniors+5Good For People With Disabilities+4Good For Low Income Households+3
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Privacy Rights+8Improves Government Transparency+1
- Education And Technology
- Improves Data Privacy+7
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+6
- 4/16/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House