Texas HB 142: Relating to required disclosures on certain political advertising that contains altered media; creating a criminal offense.

Bill Text

By:AAPhelanH.B.ANo.A142
A BILLTO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relatingto requireddisclosureson certainpoliticaladvertising
thatcontainsalteredmedia;creatinga criminaloffense.
BE IT ENACTEDBY THE LEGISLATUREOF THE STATEOF TEXAS:
SECTION
A1.AAChapter255,ElectionCode,is amendedby adding
Section255.0015to readas follows:
Sec.
A255.0015.AAREQUIREDDISCLOSUREON  CERTAINPOLITICAL
ADVERTISINGCONTAININGALTEREDMEDIA;CRIMINALPENALTY.(a)This
sectionappliesonlyto a personwho:
(1)
AAisanofficeholder,candidate,orpolitical
committee;
(2)
AAmakesexpendituresduringa reportingperiodthat
in the aggregateexceed$100for politicaladvertising,otherthan
an expenseto coverthe basiccostof hardware,messagingsoftware,
and bandwidth;or
(3)
AApublishes,distributes,or broadcastspolitical
advertisingdescribedbySubsection(b)inreturnfor
consideration.
(b)
AAA personmaynot,withtheintentto influencean
election,knowinglycauseto  be  published,distributed,or
broadcastpoliticaladvertisingthatincludesan image,audio
recording,or videorecordingof an officeholder
’s or candidate’s
appearance,speech,or conductthatdidnotoccurin reality,
includingan image,audiorecording,or videorecordingthathas
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89S10556MZM-F1

beenalteredusinggenerativeartificialintelligencetechnology,
unless:
(1)
AAthe imageor videorecordinghas onlybeenaltered
to changethe saturation,brightness,contrast,color,or any other
superficialqualityof the imageor video;or
(2)
AAthepoliticaladvertisingincludesa disclosure
fromthepersonor anotherpersonon whosebehalfthepolitical
advertisingis published,distributed,or broadcastindicating
thatthe image,audiorecording,or videorecordingdid not occurin
reality.
(c)
AAThe commissionby ruleshallprescribethe formof the
disclosurerequiredby Subsection(b),includingthefont,size,
and colorof the disclosure.The commissionshallensurethatthe
formofthedisclosureisconsistentwithotherrequired
disclosureson politicaladvertising.
(d)
AAA personcommitsan offenseif the personviolatesthis
section.An offenseunderthissectionis a ClassA misdemeanor.
(e)
AAThissectiondoesnotimposeliabilityon anyof the
followingpersonsforpoliticaladvertisingpublished,
distributed,or broadcastby or at the directionof anotherperson:
(1)
AAan interactivecomputerservice,as definedby 47
U.S.C.Section230(f);
(2)
AAanInternetserviceprovider,cloudservice
provider,cybersecurityserviceprovider,communicationservice
provider,or telecommunicationsnetwork;
(3)
AAa radioor televisionbroadcaster,includinga
cableor satellitetelevisionnetworkoperator,programmer,or
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H.B.
ANo.A142
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producer;or
(4)
AAtheowneror operatorof a commercialsign,as
definedby Section391.001,TransportationCode.
SECTION
A2.AAThisAct takeseffecton the 91stday afterthe
lastday of the legislativesession.
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H.B.
ANo.A142
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