Relating to the Creation of Artificial Sexual Material Harmful to Minors (HB 581)
Texas · Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code (artificial sexual material harmful to minors) (HB 581, 89th Leg., R.S. (2025))
This law regulates commercial websites and apps that offer publicly available tools for generating 'artificial sexual material harmful to minors.' Operators must use reasonable age-verification methods to confirm users are at least 18, and must ensure that any real person used as the source of the generated material is also at least 18 and has consented to the use of their face and body. Operators that ignore these duties face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per day, rising to as much as $250,000 if a violation results in a minor accessing the material. The law includes safe-harbor protections for operators that adopt qualifying terms of use and take affirmative steps to limit such material.
Technical detail
HB 581 (89th Leg., R.S.) requires a commercial entity operating a publicly available tool to create artificial sexual material harmful to minors to use reasonable age-verification methods to confirm users and source individuals are 18 or older and that source individuals consented, enforceable by civil penalties of up to $10,000 per day (up to $250,000 where a minor accesses material because of a violation).
Who is protected: Minors (preventing their access to AI-generated sexual material) and individuals whose likeness could be used as a source without consent.
Who must comply: Commercial entities that operate publicly available tools for creating artificial sexual material harmful to minors.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Texas |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2025-09-01 |
| Enacted | 2025-06-20 |
| Citation | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code (artificial sexual material harmful to minors) (HB 581, 89th Leg., R.S. (2025)) |
| Enforced by | Texas Attorney General (civil enforcement of the civil penalty). |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day of violation, increasing to up to $250,000 if a minor accesses such material as a result of the violation; safe harbors apply for operators meeting specified terms-of-use and mitigation conditions. |
| Topics | children's online safety · AI-generated images · consumer protection |
| Last verified | 2026-07-22 |
| Official source | Texas Legislature Online — HB 581 (89R) Bill History ↗ |
More AI rules in Texas
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- Texas SB 6 (Data Center Grid Law) · In effect
- TX SB 2205 (2017 AV statute) · In effect
- TX HB 912 (2013 drone privacy) · In effect
- TX HB 2700 — AI/Altered CSAM · In effect
Related children's online safety rules elsewhere
- PA v. Character.AI (Fake Psychiatrist Chatbot) · Blocked / in litigation
- RI AI Companion Self-Harm Safety (2026) · In effect
- Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act) (H.R. 7757) · Proposed / pending
- Washington HB 2225 (AI chatbot disclosure, minor protections, crisis protocols) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Oregon SB 1546 (AI companion chatbot disclosure + private right of action) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- xAI v. Harwood (Grok NCII Counter-Suit 2026) · Blocked / in litigation
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