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.