West Bill Makes AI-Faked Political Ads A Class B Misdemeanor

The text as introduced · 294 words

89R563 CJD-D

By: West
S.B. No. 228

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to prohibiting the use of certain political advertising

manipulated by generative artificial intelligence technology;

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 255.009 to read as follows:

Sec. 255.009. PROHIBITED USE OF CERTAIN POLITICAL

ADVERTISING MANIPULATED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. (a) A person

commits an offense if the person causes 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 has been

intentionally manipulated using generative artificial intelligence

technology in a manner that creates a realistic but false or

inaccurate image, audio recording, or video recording, resulting

in:

(1) a depiction that, to a reasonable individual, is

of the officeholder or candidate in appearance, speech, or conduct

but that did not occur in reality; and

(2) a fundamentally different understanding or

impression of the officeholder's or candidate's appearance, speech,

or conduct than a reasonable individual would otherwise have

obtained from the unaltered, original version of the image, audio

recording, or video recording.

(b) An offense under this section is a Class B misdemeanor.

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

political advertising that is published, distributed, or broadcast

on or after the effective date of this Act. The publication,

distribution, or broadcasting of political advertising before the

effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the

date the advertising was published, distributed, or broadcast, and

the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.