| Old | New | Differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 89R2156 MPF-D | |
| 2 | 2 | By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 401 | |
| 3 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 6 | ||
| 7 | 7 | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | |
| 8 | 8 | AN ACT | |
| 9 | 9 | relating to a criminal offense for creating and distributing | |
| 10 | 10 | certain misleading videos with the intent to influence the outcome | |
| 11 | 11 | of an election. | |
| 12 | 12 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | |
| 13 | 13 | SECTION 1. Section 255.004(d), Election Code, is amended to | |
| 14 | 14 | read as follows: | |
| 15 | 15 | (d) A person commits an offense if the person, with intent | |
| 16 | 16 | to injure a candidate or influence the result of an election: | |
| 17 | 17 | (1) creates a deep fake video; and | |
| 18 | 18 | (2) causes the deep fake video to be published or | |
| 19 | 19 | distributed [within 30 days of an election]. | |
| 20 | 20 | SECTION 2. Section 255.004, Election Code, as amended by | |
| 21 | 21 | this Act, applies only to an offense committed on or after the | |
| 22 | 22 | effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the | |
| 23 | 23 | effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the | |
| 24 | 24 | date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in | |
| 25 | 25 | effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense | |
| 26 | 26 | was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element | |
| 27 | 27 | of the offense occurred before that date. | |
| 28 | 28 | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |