§ 100B.003.Civil Penalty for Dissemination of Certain Communications for Financial Exploitation

Title 4. Liability in Tort · Chapter 100B. Liability for Financial Exploitation · Last amended 2025 · Last verified August 29, 2026

Note. The code carries two provisions numbered § 100B.003. They were enacted by separate bills and were never harmonised. View the other version.

In one sentenceSection 100B.003 of the financial exploitation chapter imposes a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day, collectible by the attorney general in Travis County or where the events occurred.

Full Text of § 100B.003

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c)

(a)A person who knowingly or intentionally disseminates artificially generated media or a phishing communication for purposes of financial exploitation is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 per day the media or communication is disseminated. The attorney general may bring an action to collect the civil penalty.

(b)An action brought by the attorney general under this section shall be filed in a district court:

(1)in Travis County; or

(2)in any county in which all or part of the events or omissions giving rise to the action occurred.

(c)This section may not be construed to impose liability, for content provided by another person, on:

(1)the provider of an interactive computer service, as defined by 47 U.S.C. Section 230(f);

(2)a telecommunications service, as defined by 47 U.S.C. Section 153; or

(3)a radio or television station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.

End

Plain-English Summary

A public enforcement provision running alongside the private claim.

A person who knowingly or intentionally disseminates artificially generated media or a phishing communication for purposes of financial exploitation is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 per day the media or communication is disseminated. The attorney general may bring an action to collect it.

The per-day measure is what gives the penalty force. A phishing campaign running for months accumulates a penalty far larger than any individual victim's loss, and it does not depend on identifying victims at all.

That matters because these schemes typically harm many people slightly rather than one person severely, and private claims capture little of the total.

Venue is given in two places: a district court in Travis County, or in any county in which all or part of the events or omissions giving rise to the action occurred.

Travis County is where the attorney general sits, and naming it removes any venue dispute from an enforcement action.

Subsection (c) repeats the three-category platform exclusion in identical terms to the private cause of action — interactive computer services, telecommunications services, and FCC-licensed broadcasters are not liable for another person's content.

Repeating it rather than cross-referencing means the attorney general cannot reach a platform the private claimant could not.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the penalty for AI-driven financial exploitation in Texas?

A civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each day the media or communication is disseminated, collectible by the attorney general.

Where is the action brought?

In a district court in Travis County, or in any county in which all or part of the events or omissions occurred.

Can the attorney general sue a platform?

No. The same three-category exclusion applies — no liability for content provided by another person.

Amendment History

Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1154 (S.B. 2373), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2025.

Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from Texas Legislature Online (statutes.capitol.texas.gov). Enacted by the Texas Legislature. Current through May 14, 2026. Last verified August 29, 2026. · Official source