Bill > SB20

This bill creates a new criminal offense in Texas related to possession, promotion, or production of obscene visual material that appears to depict a child, which expands existing laws on child pornography. The bill makes it a state jail felony to knowingly possess, access, or promote obscene visual material that seems to show a child under 18 engaging in sexually explicit activities, regardless of whether the material involves an actual child, a cartoon, animation, or an image created using artificial intelligence. The law also criminalizes using an actual child's image to train AI models to produce child pornography-like content. Penalties escalate for repeat offenders, with third-degree felony charges for a first prior conviction and second-degree felony charges for two or more prior convictions. Additionally, the bill amends related sections of the Texas Penal Code to include this new offense in provisions about criminal sentencing, criminal street gang activities, and concurrent or consecutive sentencing. The law will take effect on September 1, 2025, and will only apply to offenses committed on or after that date, ensuring that prior conduct is not retroactively criminalized.