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Bill

HB 4911

Relating to prosecution and punishment of certain criminal offenses prohibiting sexually explicit visual material involving depictions of children, computer-generated children, or other persons; creating criminal offenses; increasing criminal penalties.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Caroline Fairly

Texas expands criminal law to prosecute sexually explicit AI-generated and computer-generated images of minors with new offenses and increased penalties.

Left pending in subcommittee
#artificialintelligence(iq7c5) #computers&software(s2425) #crimes--againstpersons--sexual(i0171) #criminalprocedure--general(i0208) #criminalprocedure--sentencing&punishment(i0205) #minors--crimesagainst(i0532) #pornography(s0379) #videotape&film(s2361)
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Bill Summary · HB 4911

Legislative bill overview

HB 4911 expands Texas criminal law to prosecute sexually explicit visual material involving children, including computer-generated or AI-generated depictions of minors. The bill creates new criminal offenses and increases penalties for distribution, possession, and production of such material beyond existing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) laws.

Why is this important

As deepfake and AI technology becomes more accessible, this bill addresses a legal gap where synthetic child sexual abuse material may not be prosecutable under traditional CSAM statutes that require real victims. The legislation aims to prevent grooming, normalize abuse, and protect children from emerging technological exploitation methods.

Potential points of contention

  • First Amendment concerns: Prosecuting computer-generated content without real victims raises constitutional free speech questions, particularly regarding the line between protected speech and material depicting minors
  • Definitional clarity: "Sexually explicit visual material" and what constitutes a depiction of a "child" in AI-generated images may be vague, risking overly broad application or unintended consequences for legitimate content creators
  • Enforcement challenges: Determining intent, distinguishing AI-generated from real imagery, and prosecuting possession of digital files creates significant evidentiary and jurisdictional complications
  • International conflicts: Texas penalties may exceed federal law or other states' approaches, creating inconsistent legal frameworks for online content

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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