Bill Text: TX HB401 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced

Texas House Bill 401

Introduced

Bill Title: Relating to a criminal offense for creating and distributing certain misleading videos with the intent to influence the outcome of an election.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-04-03 - Left pending in committee [HB401 Detail]

Download: Texas-2025-HB401-Introduced.html

	89R2156 MPF-D

	By: González of El Paso	H.B. No. 401



	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to a criminal offense for creating and distributing
	certain misleading videos with the intent to influence the outcome
	of an election.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 255.004(d), Election Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(d) A person commits an offense if the person, with intent
	to injure a candidate or influence the result of an election:
	(1) creates a deep fake video; and
	(2) causes the deep fake video to be published or
	distributed [~~within 30 days of an election~~].
	SECTION 2. Section 255.004, Election Code, as amended by
	this Act, applies only to an offense committed on or after the
	effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the
	effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
	date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in
	effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense
	was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element
	of the offense occurred before that date.
	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.