A lawmaker in the Texas House of Representatives has proposed legislation that would regulate and chart the course for the development of artificial intelligence in the state.
On Monday, State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (R-Southlake) filed House Bill 1709 for the upcoming legislative session. The measure requires companies to disclose whether they are using AI, establishes guidelines to prevent bias, and seeks to protect personal data.
“Artificial intelligence continues to increasingly reshape our daily lives, and we must approach this transformation with necessary care,” stated Capriglione in a press release, adding, “By filing this legislation, Texas is taking a proactive approach to addressing the challenges and opportunities of AI, ensuring that Texas remains a hub for responsible technological advancement.”
Capriglione’s measure would encourage education and training programs to better equip Texas workers for an AI-driven economy and establish free speech protections for “lawful political discourse.”
In addition, the legislation would prohibit AI systems that manipulate human behavior, engage in social scoring, capture biometrics, infer or interpret sensitive attributes, infer emotions without consent, or produce deepfakes violating state law.
For those in the testing period of their AI programs, the measure creates an “AI Regulatory Sandbox Program” that would allow exemptions from certain provisions during the development period.
Other exemptions exist for developers with open-source AI systems that make details about their systems available to the public and prevent high-risk use.
“By balancing innovation with public interest, we aim to create a blueprint for responsible AI use that other states and nations can follow,” emphasized Capriglione. “Texas has always been at the forefront of technological progress, and with this bill, we are ensuring that progress is ethical and beneficial to all Texans.”
In November, Capriglione participated in a Texas Public Policy Foundation panel on the future of responsible AI policy. He admitted that balancing public and industry interests on the topic was an uphill battle.
“And as you can imagine, it’s hard to come up with a bill that everybody likes, right? The red lines on what people want sometimes contradict with one another,” said Capriglione.
The decision to file the legislation also comes two weeks after Attorney General Ken Paxton launched a massive investigation into 15 companies, including the Google-backed AI app known as Character.AI.
According to Paxton, the companies are being probed under HB 4—the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act—and HB 18—the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act—over privacy practices for children using their services.
