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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to content filters provided by Internet service providers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 10, Business & Commerce Code, |
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is amended by adding Chapter 330 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 330. CONTENT FILTERS PROVIDED BY INTERNET SERVICE |
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PROVIDERS |
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Sec. 330.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Customer" means a person in this state who |
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purchases Internet service from an Internet service provider. |
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(2) "Explicit material" means visual material |
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depicting: |
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(A) the intimate parts of a person; |
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(B) sexual conduct; or |
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(C) simulated sexual conduct. |
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(3) "Filter" means software provided to a customer by |
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an Internet service provider that is capable of preventing the |
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customer from accessing or displaying explicit material. |
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(4) "Internet service provider" means a person |
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providing connectivity to the Internet or another wide area |
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network. |
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(5) "Sexual conduct" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 21.16, Penal Code. |
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(6) "Simulated" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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21.16, Penal Code. |
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(7) "Visual material" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 21.16, Penal Code. |
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Sec. 330.002. OPTIONAL CONTENT FILTER. (a) An Internet |
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service provider shall make available to each customer a filter |
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that the customer can choose to enable on the customer's Internet |
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service. |
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(b) A filter described by Subsection (a), when enabled, |
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must: |
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(1) prevent a customer from accessing, downloading, or |
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displaying explicit material when using the Internet service |
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provided by the Internet service provider; and |
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(2) notify the customer using the Internet service |
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when the filter prevents the customer from accessing or displaying |
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explicit material. |
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(c) An Internet service provider shall make the filter |
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described by Subsection (a) available at no additional cost to the |
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customer. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |