HB 401

relating to a criminal offense for creating and distributing
certain misleading videos with the intent to influence the outcome
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Section 255.004(d), Election Code, is amended to
(d)  A person commits an offense if the person, with intent
to injure a candidate or influence the result of an election:
(1)  creates a deep fake video; and
(2)  causes the deep fake video to be published or
distributed [within 30 days of an election].
SECTION 2.  Section 255.004, Election Code, as amended by
this Act, applies only to an offense committed on or after the
effective date of this Act.  An offense committed before the
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in
effect for that purpose.  For purposes of this section, an offense
was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element
of the offense occurred before that date.
SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.