HB 401

González Bill Drops The 30-Day Window On Election Deep Fakes

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to a criminal offense for creating and distributing certain misleading videos with the intent to influence the outcome of an election.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Hurting a candidate with a deep fake video is an offense any time.

The bill removes the 30-day window from the existing Election Code offense for making and publishing a deep fake video meant to hurt a candidate or sway an election. It touches anyone who creates and spreads such a video about a Texas candidate or election. The offense now applies at any time, not just in the month before an election, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Elections committee on Apr 3, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB401 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Mary E. GonzálezDHouse 75

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to a criminal offense for creating and distributing certain misleading videos with the intent to influence the outcome of an election.

WHAT IT DOES

Hurting a candidate with a deep fake video is an offense any time.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 1, 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

Nov 12, 2024Filed
Feb 28, 2025Read first time
Feb 28, 2025Referred to Elections
Apr 3, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 3, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 3, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 3, 2025Left pending in committee

FILED UNDER

SPEECH AND LAWFARE

THE TEXT

“causes the deep fake video to be published or”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill widens a state offense over publishing certain political videos so it applies year-round instead of only within 30 days of an election.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Mary E. González

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$10K Coalition for Working Families PAC$10K Texas Sands PAC$8K

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 16, 2024 to Jun 13, 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$10,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$10,000.00

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

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 11, 2024 to Mar 30, 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: 100985912, 101032788, 101058648.

Coalition for Working Families PAC$10,000.00

Coalition for Working Families PAC

$10,000.00

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

Also funds 24 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 25, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 5, 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: 101058648.

Texas Sands PAC$8,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash: $8,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $8,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 22, 2024 to Dec 9, 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: 100985912.

Money

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

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$10,000.00

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

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 11, 2024 to Mar 30, 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: 100985912, 101032788, 101058648.

Coalition for Working Families PAC

$10,000.00

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

Also funds 24 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 25, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 5, 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: 101058648.

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash: $8,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $8,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 22, 2024 to Dec 9, 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: 100985912.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 1, 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 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

04/03/2025 H Left pending in committee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors

Penny Morales ShawDHouse 148

House committee · Elections · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Crimes--Miscellaneous

Elections--Campaign Financing

Electronic Information Systems

VIDEOTAPE & FILM

Text

The text as introduced · 206 words

89R2156 MPF-D

By: González of El Paso
H.B. No. 401

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a criminal offense for creating and distributing

certain misleading videos with the intent to influence the outcome

of an election.

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

SECTION 1. Section 255.004(d), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(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.