H.B. No. 581 aims to address the creation and publication of artificial sexual material deemed harmful to minors. The bill amends Chapter 129B of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, changing the heading to reflect its focus on liability related to sexual material harmful to minors. It introduces the definition of "artificial sexual material harmful to minors," which refers to computer-generated sexual content that features recognizable individuals, and establishes that commercial entities operating websites or applications for creating such material must implement reasonable age verification methods to ensure users are 18 years or older.

Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements for commercial entities regarding the sources of artificial sexual material, mandating that individuals used as sources must be 18 years or older and have consented to their likeness being used. It also clarifies that Internet service providers and related entities cannot be held liable for merely providing access to harmful content, as long as they are not responsible for its creation. Violations of the age verification requirements can result in significant civil penalties, with the bill set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

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