Texas Legislature takes its first steps at regulating AI

After being left for three weeks pending in committee, House Bill (HB) 149 was reconsidered by the Texas Senate and was promptly passed in days, barely making the legislative deadline. The bill is the first of its kind within the Texas Legislature and aims to establish guardrails for artificial intelligence (AI) within the Lone Star state without burdening employers.

Cutting it close

The Texas Legislature narrowly met its deadline of June 2, 2025, with both chambers signing the bill on June 1 and sending it to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk the next day.

Every two years, the Texas Legislature introduces and votes on legislation for a 140-day lawmaking session. This year, the session ran from January 14 through June 2.

During these 140 days, the 89th Texas Legislature introduced thousands of bills, read them in the House or Senate chamber, referred them to a committee, and voted to either approve or reject the bills as Texas law. Among the many bills was HB 149, also referred to as the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA).

What is HB 149?