United States of America: Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Bill (HB 149) including design requirements enters into force

On 1 January 2026, the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Bill (HB 149) enters into force. The Bill imposes design requirements on artificial intelligence systems under Subchapter B, Chapter 552 of the Business and Commerce Code. In particular, developers and deployers must ensure that systems are not designed to unlawfully capture biometric data, including through untargeted collection from publicly available sources without explicit consent. The Bill prohibits the deployment of systems intended to discriminate against protected classes such as race, sex, or disability, while clarifying that a disparate impact alone does not establish intent. Additional design prohibitions include the generation of child exploitation content using deepfake techniques, as defined in Sections 21.165 and 43.26 of the Penal Code, and text-based simulations of sexualised dialogue impersonating minors. Systems must also be designed to avoid infringement of constitutional rights, including free speech. The Bill requires that all consumer-facing disclosures be written in plain language, and in healthcare settings, integrated into patient documentation. These obligations pre-empt any conflicting local regulations, creating a uniform compliance baseline statewide.