Texas TRAIGA takes effect: intent-based AI rules, enforced only by the Attorney General

The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act reached the statute book under the caption "Relating to regulation of the use of artificial intelligence systems in this state; providing civil penalties." Governor Abbott signed it on 22 June 2025 and it took effect on 1 January 2026.

What survived the legislative process is narrower than what was introduced. Rather than imposing broad duties on anyone deploying AI, the enacted law draws a small set of red lines around intentional misconduct: AI developed or deployed to manipulate behaviour in a way that causes harm, to discriminate on protected characteristics, to produce child sexual abuse material, or to let government carry out social scoring. Analysts of the final text describe this as an intent-based liability framework, deliberately chosen over the impact-based approach taken elsewhere — which matters, because it means a system that produces a discriminatory outcome without intent is treated very differently in Texas than it is in Illinois.

The Act reaches beyond companies headquartered in the state. It applies to those who develop or deploy AI systems in Texas, who produce a product or service used by Texas residents, or who promote, advertise or conduct business there.

Enforcement is centralised. Only the Texas Attorney General may bring an action; the law creates no private right of action, so there is no route for individual plaintiffs or class actions under it. Reported civil penalties run up to $200,000 per violation.

Alongside the prohibitions, the law builds institutions: an AI advisory council, and a 36-month regulatory sandbox allowing supervised testing of AI systems outside the normal rules.