HB 366: Phelan’s bill requiring disclosures on altered political ads

Caption

relating to required disclosures on certain political advertising that contains altered media; creating a criminal offense.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

AI-altered ads need a label saying it did not occur in reality.

This bill bars anyone from publishing, distributing, or broadcasting political ads that show a candidate or officeholder saying or doing something that never happened, including AI-altered images, audio, or video, unless the ad carries a disclosure saying the content did not occur in reality. It touches campaigns, political committees, ad makers, and anyone else who pays to run political advertising, and it directs the Texas Ethics Commission to write rules for the disclosure's font, size, and color. Starting September 1, 2025, running such an ad without the disclosure is a Class A misdemeanor offense.

Labels

Labels: CREATES AN OFFENSE. The caption of the graded version (introduced) reads: “relating to required disclosures on certain political advertising that contains altered media; creating a criminal offense.”GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on Apr 30, 2025. Died in the Senate: received, never referred to a committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB366 · 2025-02-27

SOLD BY

Rep. Dade PhelanRHouse 21

ITEM

relating to required disclosures on certain political advertising that contains altered media; creating a criminal offense.

WHAT IT DOES

AI-altered ads need a label saying it did not occur in reality.

This bill bars anyone from publishing, distributing, or broadcasting political ads that show a candidate or officeholder saying or doing something that never happened, including AI-altered images, audio, or video, unless the ad carries a disclosure saying the content did not occur in reality. It touches campaigns, political committees, ad makers, and anyone else who pays to run political advertising, and it directs the Texas Ethics Commission to write rules for the disclosure's font, size, and color. Starting September 1, 2025, running such an ad without the disclosure is a Class A misdemeanor offense.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · March 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 27, 2025Filed
Mar 3, 2025Read first time
Mar 3, 2025Referred to State Affairs
Mar 12, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Mar 12, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 12, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Mar 12, 2025Left pending in committee
Mar 26, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 26, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Mar 26, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
Apr 1, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 1, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 2, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 24, 2025Considered in Calendars
Apr 29, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
Apr 29, 2025Read 2nd time
Apr 29, 2025Passed to engrossment
Apr 29, 2025Record vote RV#834
Apr 29, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 30, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 30, 2025Amended 1-Phelan
Apr 30, 2025Amendment fails of adoption 2-Hopper
Apr 30, 2025Record vote RV#981
Apr 30, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 30, 2025Passed as amended
Apr 30, 2025Record vote RV#982
Apr 30, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 30, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 30, 2025Received from the House

FILED UNDER

Beats not yet reviewed.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 102 yea · 40 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · Apr 30, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Dade Phelan

Donors

Tyson D. Faust$75,000Tama Lundquist$75,000JLN III Holdings LLC$50K

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 · Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 24, 2025. 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.

Tyson D. Faust$75,000.00

Tama Lundquist$75,000.00

JLN III Holdings LLC$50,000.00

JLN III Holdings LLC

$50,000.00

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $50,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 8, 2024 to Dec 2, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 11, 2024. 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: 100987524.

Money

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

×

JLN III Holdings LLC

$50,000.00

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $50,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 8, 2024 to Dec 2, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 11, 2024. 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: 100987524.

Votes3

House Apr 30, 2025

Yea: 102
Nay: 40
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 0
Excused: 7

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 982

HB 366, as amended, was passed by (Record 982): 102 Yeas, 40 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 102 (published)
Nay: 40 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 7 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House Apr 30, 2025

Yea: 25
Nay: 112
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 5
Excused: 6

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 981

Amendment No. 2 failed of adoption by (Record 981): 25 Yeas, 112 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 25 (published)
Nay: 112 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
Excused: 6 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House Apr 29, 2025

Yea: 106
Nay: 39
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 2
Excused: 1

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 834

CSHB 366 was passed to engrossment by (Record 834): 106 Yeas, 39 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 106 (published)
Nay: 39 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses9

For: 5
Against: 1
On: 3

Names

For

Common Cause Texas1 registration
Secure Democracy USA1 registration
Self1 registration
Texas Association of Broadcasters1 registration
Texas Public Policy Foundation1 registration

Against

Self1 registration

On

TechNet1 registration
Texas Department of Public Safety1 registration
Texas Ethics Commission1 registration

Sources

9 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 · March 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 I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 19, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 27, 2025

04/30/2025 S Received from the House

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 12 aye, 0 nay, 3 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Artificial Intelligence (IQ7C5)

Crimes--Miscellaneous

Elections--Campaign Financing

Elections--Candidates

Ethics

ADVERTISING

VIDEOTAPE & FILM

ETHICS COMMISSION, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 221 words

89R8526 MZM-F

By: Phelan
H.B. No. 366

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to required disclosures on certain political advertising

that contains altered media; creating a criminal offense.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 255, Election Code, is amended by adding

Section 255.0015 to read as follows:

Sec. 255.0015. REQUIRED DISCLOSURE ON CERTAIN POLITICAL

ADVERTISING CONTAINING ALTERED MEDIA; CRIMINAL PENALTY. (a) A

person may not cause to be published, distributed, or broadcast

political advertising that includes an image, audio recording, or

video recording of an officeholder's or candidate's appearance,

speech, or conduct that did not occur in reality, including an

image, audio recording, or video recording that has been altered

using generative artificial intelligence technology, unless the

political advertising includes a disclosure indicating that the

image, audio recording, or video recording did not occur in

reality.

(b) The commission by rule shall prescribe the form of the

disclosure required by Subsection (a), including the font, size,

and color of the disclosure. The commission shall ensure that the

form of the disclosure is consistent with other required

disclosures on political advertising.

(c) A person commits an offense if the person violates this

section. An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

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

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

JLN III Holdings LLC

JLN III Holdings LLC

House Apr 30, 2025

House Apr 30, 2025

House Apr 29, 2025

For

Against

On