Monitoring the Session

HB 4200

Digital purchases would come with an access warning

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsReviewed
Rep. Keresa RichardsonRHouse 61

Editor's call: No flags. On Nov 1, 2026 the editor checked this charge against the bill's caption and removed it.

Corrected Nov 1, 2026

Corrected Nov 1, 2026 · We checked this summary against the bill text and fixed it.

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 requiring certain disclosures in relation to the purchase of electronic media by consumers; providing a civil penalty.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Sellers must warn that access to purchased films, shows and games may expire.

The bill requires online stores that sell films, TV shows, and computer or video games to tell each buyer in writing that access to what they bought is not guaranteed forever and may expire. It touches any business that runs an app, website, or other system selling that kind of media to Texas consumers. A store that skips the notice owes the state a civil penalty of at least $7,500 per violation, which the attorney general can sue to collect, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 10, 2025 and referred to the House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4200 · 2025-03-10

SOLD BY

Rep. Keresa RichardsonRHouse 61

ITEM

relating to requiring certain disclosures in relation to the purchase of electronic media by consumers; providing a civil penalty.

WHAT IT DOES

Sellers must warn that access to purchased films, shows and games may expire.

The bill requires online stores that sell films, TV shows, and computer or video games to tell each buyer in writing that access to what they bought is not guaranteed forever and may expire. It touches any business that runs an app, website, or other system selling that kind of media to Texas consumers. A store that skips the notice owes the state a civil penalty of at least $7,500 per violation, which the attorney general can sue to collect, starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Keresa Richardson

Donors

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$575KTexans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$364KJeannie Pascale$100,000

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 · Nov 4, 2024 to Oct 23, 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 Conservative Majority PAC$574,750.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$574,750.00

Cash
$200,000.00
Paid by others
$374,750.00
Total
$574,750.00
canvassing $350,000.00polling $24,750.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 14, 2026 to Oct 23, 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: 101069161, 101072822.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$363,511.10

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$363,511.10

Cash
$195,000.00
Paid by others
$168,511.10
Total
$363,511.10
advertising $76,656.57mail $71,344.18polling $20,510.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 22, 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: 101007087, 101036173, 101040588, 101060020, 101069161, 101072822.

Jeannie Pascale$100,000.00
Money

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

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$574,750.00

Cash
$200,000.00
Paid by others
$374,750.00
Total
$574,750.00
canvassing $350,000.00polling $24,750.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 14, 2026 to Oct 23, 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: 101069161, 101072822.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$363,511.10

Cash
$195,000.00
Paid by others
$168,511.10
Total
$363,511.10
advertising $76,656.57mail $71,344.18polling $20,510.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 22, 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: 101007087, 101036173, 101040588, 101060020, 101069161, 101072822.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

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 Mar 10, 2025

03/31/2025 H Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development: Mar 31 2025 4:34PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 10:30 AM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Trade, Workforce & Economic Development · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Business & Commerce--General

Civil Remedies & Liabilities

Consumer Protection

Electronic Information Systems

COMPUTERS & SOFTWARE

VIDEOTAPE & FILM

Text

The text as introduced · 228 words

89R11817 PRL-D

By: Richardson
H.B. No. 4200

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to requiring certain disclosures in relation to the

purchase of electronic media by consumers; providing a civil

penalty.

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

SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Business & Commerce Code, is

amended by adding Chapter 121 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 121. PROHIBITION ON REMOVAL OF ACCESS TO PURCHASED

ELECTRONIC MEDIA

Sec. 121.001. PROHIBITION ON REMOVAL OF ACCESS TO PURCHASED

ELECTRONIC MEDIA. (a) In this section:

(1) "Electronic media" means a film, television

program, or computer or video game.

(2) "Electronic media platform" means a business that

operates or provides an online application, software, Internet

website, system, or other medium through which electronic media is

sold to consumers.

(b) In this state, an electronic media platform shall

provide a written disclosure to each person who purchases

electronic media through the platform that informs the person that

access to the electronic media is not guaranteed in perpetuity and

may expire at a later date.

(c) An electronic media platform that violates Subsection

(b) is liable to this state for a civil penalty of not less than

$7,500 for each violation. The attorney general may bring an action

to recover the civil penalty imposed by this subsection.

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