Bill

SB 751

86(R) - 2019
Senate State Affairs
Senate State Affairs

Vote Recommendation

Yes
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Positive
  • Positive
  • Neutral

Author(s)

Bryan Hughes

Bill Caption

Relating to the creation of a criminal offense for fabricating a deceptive video with intent to influence the outcome of an election.

Fiscal Notes

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. 

Bill Analysis

SB 751 would create an offense for any person who, with intent to injure a candidate or influence the result of an election, creates a "deep fake video" and causes it to be published or distributed within 30 days of an election. A "deep fake video" is defined as a video created with artificial intelligence that, with the intent to deceive, appears to depict a real person performing an action that did not occur in reality.

Vote Recommendation Notes

Texas Action supporting SB 751 because it promotes limited government and personal responsibility. This bill would help protect the integrity of the electoral process, a legitimate function of a limited government, and hold individuals responsible for intending to deceive people and influence elections with this technology.