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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 creating and distributing |
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certain misleading videos with the intent to influence the outcome |
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of an election. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 255.004(d), Election Code, is amended to |
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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 a deep fake video; and |
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(2) causes the deep fake video to be published or |
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distributed [within 30 days of an election]. |
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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 on the |
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date 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. |