89R23891 GP-D
By: Capriglione H.B. No. 4437
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 4437:
By: Capriglione C.S.H.B. No. 4437
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a requirement that the Department of Information
Resources implement and develop a system and database to
authenticate and track certain digital content.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 2054.0542 to read as follows:
Sec. 2054.0542. CONTENT PROVENANCE SYSTEM. (a) In this
section:
(1) "Content" means any visual, audio, or audiovisual
digital content.
(2) "Content provenance" means information, in a
format that is compliant with guidelines or specifications adopted
by an established standards-setting body, including:
(A) the origin of the content;
(B) the content's modification history;
(C) whether the content is wholly or partly
synthetic content; and
(D) if the content is synthetic, the name of the
generative artificial intelligence provider whose generative
artificial intelligence tool generated the synthetic content.
(3) "Cryptographic hash database" means a secure
repository for storing digital signatures or hashes generated from
content that may be used to verify that the content has not been
altered.
(4) "Hash" means a cryptographic representation of an
original piece of content.
(5) "State website" means any state Internet website
maintained by the department that is primarily used to disseminate
information to the public.
(b) The department shall implement and maintain a content
provenance system to:
(1) embed into each piece of content created and owned
by the department and posted on a state website the content's
content provenance; and
(2) include a hash for each piece of content created
and owned by the department and posted by the department on a state
website and record the hash in a cryptographic hash database.
(c) The content provenance system must be tamper-evident
and readily verifiable by the general public through accessible
online tools or interfaces.
(d) The department may provide technical assistance to
another state agency to assist the agency in implementing a content
provenance system for the agency's content.
SECTION 2. (a) The Department of Information Resources
shall implement the content provenance system required by Section
2054.0542, Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than
September 1, 2026.
(b) Section 2054.0542, Government Code, as added by this
Act, applies only to content that is created and owned by the
Department of Information Resources on or after the date the
department implements the content provenance system required by
that section under Subsection (a) of this section.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.