González Election Media Bill Reaches Text Edited With Ordinary Software

The text as introduced · 289 words

89R2131 CJD-F

By: González of El Paso
H.B. No. 556

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a criminal offense for the creation or distribution of

certain artificially generated media with the intent to influence

the outcome of an election.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 255.004(d) and (e), Election Code, are

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 artificially generated media [ a deep fake

video ]; and

(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.