| 1 | 1 | | 89R15960 SCR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Johnson S.B. No. 2637 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to disclosures about certain automated posts on social |
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| 10 | 10 | | media platforms; providing a civil penalty. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 120, Business & Commerce |
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| 13 | 13 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 120.0521 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 120.0521. DISCLOSURE REQUIRED FOR POSTS BY BOTS. (a) |
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| 15 | 15 | | In this section, "bot account" means an account controlled by an |
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| 16 | 16 | | automated software program that is designed to impersonate or |
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| 17 | 17 | | replicate human activity online by posting content on a social |
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| 18 | 18 | | media platform. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) A social media platform shall publish the disclosure |
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| 20 | 20 | | described by Subsection (c) on any content posted on the platform |
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| 21 | 21 | | that is known to be posted by a bot account. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) A disclosure required by Subsection (b) must include: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) a notice that the content was posted by a bot |
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| 24 | 24 | | account; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) a warning that content posted by a bot account may |
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| 26 | 26 | | contain misinformation. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (d) A social media platform that violates this section is |
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| 28 | 28 | | liable for a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $7,500 for |
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| 29 | 29 | | each violation. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (e) The attorney general may investigate a complaint |
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| 31 | 31 | | alleging a violation of this section. If the attorney general |
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| 32 | 32 | | determines that a violation has occurred, the attorney general may |
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| 33 | 33 | | bring an action to recover the civil penalty described by |
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| 34 | 34 | | Subsection (d). |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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