HB4437 - Relating to a requirement that the Department of Information Resources implement and develop a system and database to authenticate and track certain digital content.

  89R23891 GP-D     By: Capriglione, Tepper, Lalani H.B. No. 4437       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to a requirement that the Department of Information   Resources implement and develop a system and database to   authenticate and track certain digital content.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is   amended by adding Section 2054.0542 to read as follows:           Sec.   2054.0542.     CONTENT PROVENANCE SYSTEM. (a)   In this   section:                 (1)     "Content"   means any visual, audio, or audiovisual   digital content.                 (2)     "Content provenance" means information, in a   format that is compliant with guidelines or specifications adopted   by an established standards-setting body, including:                       (A)  the origin of the content;                       (B)  the content's modification history;                       (C)     whether the content is wholly or partly   synthetic content; and                       (D)     if the content is synthetic, the name of the   generative artificial intelligence provider whose generative   artificial intelligence tool generated the synthetic content.                 (3)     "Cryptographic hash database"   means a secure   repository for storing digital signatures or hashes generated from   content that may be used to verify that the content has not been   altered.                 (4)     "Hash" means a cryptographic representation of an   original piece of content.                 (5)     "State website" means any state Internet website   maintained by the department that is primarily used to disseminate   information to the public.           (b)     The department shall implement and maintain a content   provenance system to:                 (1)     embed into each piece of content created and owned   by the department and posted on a state website the content's   content provenance; and                 (2)     include a hash for each piece of content created   and owned by the department and posted by the department on a state   website and record the hash in a cryptographic hash database.           (c)     The content provenance system must be tamper-evident   and readily verifiable by the general public through accessible   online tools or interfaces.           (d)     The department may provide technical assistance to   another state agency to assist the agency in implementing a content   provenance system for the agency's content.          SECTION 2.  (a)  The Department of Information Resources   shall implement the content provenance system required by Section   2054.0542, Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than   September 1, 2026.          (b)  Section 2054.0542, Government Code, as added by this   Act, applies only to content that is created and owned by the   Department of Information Resources on or after the date the   department implements the content provenance system required by   that section under Subsection (a) of this section.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.