A new bill authored by State Rep. Gary Gates in the Texas House seeks to expand legal protections by broadening the definition of prohibited visual material involving children, according to the Texas Legislature website.
The bill on Property Interests category, introduced as HB 207 during the 89(1) legislative session on Friday, July 25, was formally listed with the short title: ’Relating to third-party review of development documents and inspection of improvements required to be approved by a political subdivision’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill amends the Texas Penal Code to expand the definition of prohibited visual material involving a child to include depictions using anatomically correct dolls, mannequins, or robots with child-like features intended for sexual stimulation or gratification. The bill specifies that the material must depict a child recognizable as an actual person, identified by facial features or distinguishing characteristics, and that the child’s image under 18 was used in creating or modifying the material. This includes computer-generated images created with artificial intelligence or other software. The amended law will apply only to offenses committed on or after the bill’s effective date, Sept. 1, 2025.
Gary Gates, the chair of the House Committee on Land & Resource Management, proposed one other bill during the 89(1) legislative session. He is also a member of the House Committee on Energy Resources.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Legislative Session | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 89(1) | HB 189 | 07/23/2025 | Relating to municipal and county permitting requirements to conduct certain repairs on residential buildings |
| 89(R) | HB 5662 | 04/01/2025 | Relating to the powers, duties, and authority to issue bonds of the Fort Bend County Water Control and Improvement District No. 12 related to roads |
| 89(R) | HB 5661 | 04/01/2025 | Relating to the creation of the Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 286; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes |
| 89(R) | HB 5655 | 03/25/2025 | Relating to the creation of the Fort Bend County Water Control and Improvement District No. 13; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes |
| 89(R) | HB 5648 | 03/18/2025 | Relating to the creation of the Fort Bend County Water Control and Improvement District No. 13; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes |
| 89(R) | HB 5431 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the exclusion of at-large and mayoral seats from the requirement of re-election following apportionment |
| 89(R) | HB 5408 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to General Land Office and Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs reviews of real property owned by the state |
| 89(R) | HB 1595 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to public housing authorities; authorizing a fee |
| 89(R) | HB 1590 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to multifamily residential developments owned by public facility corporations |
| 89(R) | HB 5132 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to an exclusion for mixed beverage gross receipts tax and mixed beverage sales tax |
| 89(R) | HB 4753 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the municipal issuance of a document verifying that a certificate of occupancy has been issued for certain buildings |
| 89(R) | HB 4308 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to the creation of industrial development districts in certain counties; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, or taxes |
| 89(R) | HB 4307 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to multifamily residential developments financed, owned, or operated by public facility corporations |
| 89(R) | HB 4306 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to multifamily residential developments owned by public facility corporations |
| 89(R) | HB 4305 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to disclosure of rent and certain fees and charges by a landlord |
| 89(R) | HB 4108 | 03/07/2025 | Relating to the bidding process in a county commissioners court |
| 89(R) | HB 3919 | 03/06/2025 | Relating to size and density requirements for residential lots in certain municipalities; authorizing a fee |
| 89(R) | HB 3534 | 02/28/2025 | Relating to multifamily residential developments financed, owned, or operated by public facility corporations |
| 89(R) | HB 3533 | 02/28/2025 | Relating to multifamily residential developments financed, owned, or operated by public facility corporations |
| 89(R) | HB 3532 | 02/28/2025 | Relating to multifamily residential developments owned by public facility corporations |
| 89(R) | HB 3172 | 02/21/2025 | Relating to municipal regulation of multifamily and mixed-use development on religious land |
| 89(R) | HB 2867 | 02/14/2025 | Relating to late payment fees charged by a municipally owned water utility |
| 89(R) | HB 21 | 01/13/2025 | Relating to housing finance corporations; authorizing a fee |
| 89(R) | HB 20 | 12/23/2024 | Relating to establishing the Applied Sciences Pathway program |
| 89(R) | HB 1228 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to municipal and county permitting requirements to conduct certain repairs on residential buildings |
| 89(R) | HB 1227 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to municipal solid waste management services contracts; limiting the amount of a fee |
| 89(R) | HB 1226 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the dissolution by petition of a municipal management district; making conforming changes related to ship channel security districts |
| 89(R) | HB 1225 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the establishment of a bundled-pricing program to reduce certain health care costs in the state employees group benefits program |
