HB 556

relating to a criminal offense for the creation or distribution of
certain artificially generated media with the intent to influence
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Sections 255.004(d) and (e), Election Code, are
(d)  A person commits an offense if the person, with intent
to injure a candidate or influence the result of an election:
(1)  creates artificially generated media [a deep fake
(2)  causes the artificially generated media [deep fake
video] to be published or distributed within 30 days of an election.
(e)  In this section, "artificially generated media" ["deep
fake video"] means an image, an audio recording, including a
recording of an individual's speech, a video recording, a radio
broadcast, or written text created or modified using generative
artificial intelligence technology or other computer software with
the intent to deceive[, that appears to depict a real person
performing an action that did not occur in reality].
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 at the
time 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.