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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a criminal offense for the creation or distribution of |
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certain artificially generated media with the intent to influence |
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the outcome of an election. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 255.004(d) and (e), Election Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(d) A person commits an offense if the person, with intent |
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to injure a candidate or influence the result of an election: |
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(1) creates artificially generated media [a deep fake |
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video]; and |
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(2) causes the artificially generated media [deep fake |
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video] to be published or distributed within 30 days of an election. |
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(e) In this section, "artificially generated media" ["deep |
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fake video"] means an image, an audio recording, including a |
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recording of an individual's speech, a video recording, a radio |
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broadcast, or written text created or modified using generative |
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artificial intelligence technology or other computer software with |
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the intent to deceive[, that appears to depict a real person |
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performing an action that did not occur in reality]. |
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SECTION 2. Section 255.004, Election Code, as amended by |
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this Act, applies only to an offense committed on or after the |
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effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the |
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effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at the |
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time the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense |
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was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element |
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of the offense occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |