HB 2874

Lalani Provenance Bill Lets Stripped AI Fakes Go Unlabeled

Did not pass

Verdict: Smells

SmellsReviewed

Rep. Suleman LalaniDHouse 76

Why it's charged

The hole

THE TEXT

…“the social media platform can discern the file's provenance data.”

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The posting duty applies only when the platform can already tell where a file came from. An AI fake made elsewhere with its metadata stripped, the deepfake case the pitch describes, can escape labeling.

The hole

Reviewed · Nov 1, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the inclusion of provenance data on content shared on social media platforms.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

Labels apply only when the platform “can discern the file’s provenance data.”

The bill requires social media platforms to attach and keep metadata, called provenance data, on photos, videos and audio files, showing where a file came from, how it was made, and whether AI was used. It touches every social media platform and the users who create or post media on them. Files made with a platform's own tools must carry this data, and posted files carry it only when the platform can figure it out, with an out for platforms that tell the attorney general they lack the technology and a liability shield for bad data supplied by users.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 1 Republican, 3 Democrats. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committee 9-0 on Apr 25, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 14, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2874 · 2025-02-14

SOLD BY

Rep. Suleman LalaniDHouse 76

Rep. Oscar LongoriaDHouse 35

Rep. Claudia OrdazDHouse 79

+ 1 more author, 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to the inclusion of provenance data on content shared on social media platforms.

WHAT IT DOES

Labels apply only when the platform “can discern the file’s provenance data.”

CHARGES

[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 60%

THE TEXT

…“the social media platform can discern the file's provenance data.”

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 26, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Feb 14, 2025Filed
Mar 19, 2025Read first time
Mar 19, 2025Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
Apr 9, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 9, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 9, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 9, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 9, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 25, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 25, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 25, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
May 7, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 7, 2025Committee report distributed
May 8, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 12, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 14, 2025Placed on General State Calendar

FILED UNDER

SURVEILLANCE STATE

THE TEXT

“the date and place of the file's origin;”

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

Platforms must attach and keep metadata that can show when and where each user's photo, video or audio file was made.

SPEECH AND LAWFARE

THE TEXT

“A social media platform may not be held liable for”…

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The bill shields platforms from liability for inaccurate provenance data supplied by users or third parties when they act in good faith.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Suleman Lalani

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$38K Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee$12K TSA PAC$10K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 28, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$37,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$37,500.00

Cash: $37,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $37,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Aug 31, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100987680, 101007262, 101030846, 101036309, 101069420.

Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee$11,569.08

Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee

$11,569.08

Cash: $7,000.00
Paid by others: $4,569.08
Total: $11,569.08

Other filed descriptions $4,569.08

Also funds 9 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Feb 3, 2026 to Jun 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101040256, 101061992.

TSA PAC$10,000.00

TSA PAC

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 15 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 1, 2024 to Oct 10, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 23, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101030846, 101072241.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$37,500.00

Cash: $37,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $37,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Aug 31, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100987680, 101007262, 101030846, 101036309, 101069420.

Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee

$11,569.08

Cash: $7,000.00
Paid by others: $4,569.08
Total: $11,569.08

Other filed descriptions $4,569.08

Also funds 9 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Feb 3, 2026 to Jun 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101040256, 101061992.

TSA PAC

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 15 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 1, 2024 to Oct 10, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 23, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101030846, 101072241.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses6

For: 4
Against: 1
On: 1

Names

For

Children at Risk1 registration
Coaliton For The Future1 registration
Self1 registration
Self; Texas Medical Association1 registration

Against

TechNet1 registration

On

Self; EFF-Austin1 registration

Sources

6 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 26, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version H by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 14, 2025

05/14/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 1:45 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors

Lulu FloresDHouse 51

House committee · Trade, Workforce & Economic Development · Committee vote 9 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Artificial Intelligence (IQ7C5)

Electronic Information Systems

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT TRANSPARENCY ACT (PT3NQ)

COMPUTERS & SOFTWARE

EMAIL & ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

INTERNET

RECORDS MANAGEMENT

Text

The text as introduced · 382 words

89R8703 MLH-D

By: Lalani
H.B. No. 2874

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the inclusion of provenance data on content shared on

social media platforms.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 120, Business & Commerce Code, is

amended by adding Subchapter B-1 to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER B-1. PROVENANCE DATA

Sec. 120.081. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "provenance

data" means metadata on a file that can be used to identify:

(1) the date and place of the file's origin;

(2) the method used to generate the file; or

(3) the file's history, including the manner in which

the file has been transmitted or stored.

Sec. 120.082. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. (a)

Notwithstanding Section 120.002(b), this subchapter applies only

to a social media platform that functionally has more than 1.5

million active users in this state in a calendar month.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 120.002(b), Subchapter D

applies to a social media platform described by Subsection (a) for

the purpose of enforcing this subchapter.

Sec. 120.083. CONTENT CREATED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM.

(a) A social media platform shall attach provenance data to each

photo, video, or audio file created on the social media platform or

using tools provided by the social media platform.

(b) A social media platform shall provide a method by which

a user may easily access the provenance data of a photo, video, or

audio file described by Subsection (a).

Sec. 120.084. CONTENT POSTED TO SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM. (a)

A social media platform shall attach provenance data to each photo,

video, or audio file posted on the social media platform for which

the social media platform can discern the file's provenance data.

(b) If a social media platform cannot discern the provenance

data of a photo, video, or audio file, the social media platform

shall attach a notice to the file stating that the social media

platform cannot discern the provenance data of the file.

(c) A social media platform shall provide a method by which

a user may easily access the provenance data of a photo, video, or

audio file. The notice required by Subsection (b) must be displayed

in place of provenance data, if a notice is attached to the file.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.