The Texas Senate Committee on Criminal Justice took testimony Tuesday on legislation seeking to address the creation and distribution of pornographic material, including computer-generated images of children, and moved to strike a long-standing exception in state laws protecting children.
“The purpose of today’s hearing is to take up and consider items related to [artificial intelligence (AI)] child sexual abuse material, deep fakes, and affirmative defense,” said Committee Chair Pete Flores (R-Pleasanton).
Flores’ Senate Bill (SB) 20 would amend the Texas Penal Code to include possession or promotion of AI material that “appears to depict a child under 18 of engaging in certain activities.” The offense would be a state jail felony that could be escalated with prior convictions. The committee also considered Sen. Joan Huffman’s (R-Houston) SB 1621 specifically addressing AI-generated ...
