AUSTIN, Texas — Proposed legislation would give police in Texas more tools to crack down on AI-generated child pornography.
On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice took up a package of bills related to AI-generated child porn.
Senate Bill 20 would create a new criminal offense for having offensive material that depicts a child, whether the child in the material is real or not. Senate Bill 1621 essentially rewrites the state’s current child pornography statute to better factor in AI-generated content. And Senate Bill 442 increases criminal punishments for producing or distributing sexually explicit material.
Police and prosecutors told lawmakers on Tuesday these bills will help protect children.
“What you guys have put on the table for the state of Texas is fantastic,” Houston Sgt. Heidi Ruiz said. “The problem wasn’t getting better – it’s getting worse, especially with technology. So the ultra-focus that y’all have is fabulous.”
The committee voted to advance the bills, so they now head to the full Senate for consideration.