All Roll Calls
Yes: 727 • No: 146
TexasSB 44189th Legislature Regular SessionSenate
Relating to criminal and civil liability related to sexually explicit media and artificial intimate visual material; creating a criminal offense; increasing a criminal penalty.
Sponsored By: Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (Democratic), Suleman Lalani
Signed by Governor
Artificial IntelligenceBusiness & Commerce--Trade PracticesCivil Remedies & LiabilitiesCourts--GeneralCrimes--Against Persons--SexualProtection of Personal InformationCOMPUTERS & SOFTWAREINTERNETSTATUTES OF LIMITATIONSSUPREME COURT
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Deepfake victims gain payment and privacy
For claims arising beginning September 1, 2025, victims can seek damages for artificial intimate material made, requested, shared, or promoted without effective consent. The defendant must intend harm, the conduct must cause harm, and the material or related information must reveal the victim's identity. Victims have 10 years to sue from the later of reasonable discovery of the material or their 18th birthday. They can use a confidential name in court records; access to their real identity is restricted, and disclosure requires a court order. For covered offenses committed beginning September 1, 2025, courts must order convicted defendants to repay psychological, financial, or reputational harm; no fixed payment amount is set.
Criminal penalties for intimate deepfake abuse
For offenses committed beginning September 1, 2025, Texas criminalizes knowingly creating or electronically sharing covered intimate deepfakes without effective consent. Covered media falsely shows someone's intimate parts or sexual conduct; consent requires a knowing, voluntary, signed plain-language agreement describing the media and any work incorporating it. Creation or sharing is a Class A misdemeanor, rising to a third-degree felony for a prior conviction under this law or a depicted person under 18. Intentional threats to create or share the media to coerce, extort, harass, or intimidate are crimes, even without follow-through. Threats are Class B misdemeanors, rising to Class A for a prior conviction under this law or a threatened depiction of someone under 18.
Platforms must remove reported intimate deepfakes
Beginning September 1, 2025, covered websites and apps must offer an easy removal-request system and clear, visible, plain-language instructions. After a depicted person's request, owners must remove the artificial intimate material within 72 hours and reasonably seek and remove known identical copies. Owners face damages for failing these removal duties. Damages also apply to reckless facilitation of production, disclosure, or related payments, including through public nudification apps, when lack of consent is known or recklessly ignored. Violations of removal, request-system, or notice duties are deceptive trade practices; the Texas attorney general can investigate repeat violations and seek court orders stopping them, with costs and attorney's fees available in successful enforcement actions.
Limited defenses for deepfake service providers
Beginning September 1, 2025, labeling an intimate deepfake fake or unauthorized is not a defense to prosecution. Defenses cover lawful police work, reporting unlawful activity, and court proceedings where creation or sharing is legally permitted or required. Qualifying internet and network services have a defense when their role is solely technical, automatic, or intermediate transmission or storage. Providers of public AI tools have a defense only with policies banning the material, required user acknowledgment, and active technological prevention measures. Those measures include training controls, reporting tools, or filtering.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa
Democratic • Senate
Suleman Lalani
House
Cosponsors
Brandon Creighton
Republican • Senate
Tan Parker
Republican • Senate
Royce West
Democratic • Senate
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 5/31/2025
Record vote
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 5/31/2025
Record vote
Yes: 90 • No: 33
Senate vote • 5/31/2025
Record vote
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 5/27/2025
Record vote
Yes: 104 • No: 36
House vote • 5/27/2025
Record vote
Yes: 96 • No: 41
House vote • 5/26/2025
Record vote
Yes: 109 • No: 34
House vote • 5/26/2025
Record vote
Yes: 137 • No: 2
House vote • 5/26/2025
Record vote
Yes: 143 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/18/2025
Record vote
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/18/2025
Record vote
Yes: 30 • No: 0
House vote • Unknown
Committee vote: Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Yes: 11 • No: 0
Senate vote • Unknown
Committee vote: Criminal Justice
Yes: 7 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Effective on 9/1/25
6/20/2025HouseSigned by the Governor
6/20/2025HouseSent to the Governor
6/3/2025HouseSigned in the House
6/2/2025HouseSigned in the Senate
6/2/2025SenateReported enrolled
6/2/2025SenateSenate adopts resolution for tech. correction (HCR 172)
6/2/2025SenateHouse adopts resolution for tech. correction (HCR 172)
6/2/2025HouseHouse adopts conf. comm. report-reported
5/31/2025SenateSenate adopts conf. comm. report-reported
5/31/2025HouseStatement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
5/31/2025HouseRecord vote (RV#4122)
5/31/2025HouseHouse adopts conference committee report
5/31/2025HouseRecord vote
5/31/2025SenateSenate adopts conference committee report
5/31/2025SenateRecord vote
5/31/2025SenateRules suspended
5/31/2025SenateConf. Comm. Report distributed
5/30/2025HouseConference committee report filed
5/30/2025SenateHouse appoints conferees-reported
5/30/2025SenateHouse grants request for conf comm-reported
5/30/2025SenateHouse appoints conferees
5/30/2025HouseHouse grants request for conference committee
5/30/2025HouseSenate appoints conferees-reported
5/28/2025HouseSenate requests conference committee-reported
5/28/2025House
Bill Text
Engrossed
Enrolled
House Committee Report
Introduced
Senate Committee Report
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