Bill would make AI-created explicit images of students a form of cyberbullying

Senator Paxton presented Senate Bill 7 47 to require school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to adopt cyberbullying policies that explicitly address the production or distribution of intimate images or video that depict or appear to depict a student’s intimate parts or sexual conduct, including material created using artificial intelligence.

The sponsor said the bill clarifies that producing or sharing images that "depict or appear to depict" a student’s intimate parts — including AI-generated deepfakes — is cyberbullying and may be disciplined under district policy. The bill also directs the School Safety Center, in consultation with the attorney general’s office, to develop a program districts can use to respond to AI-specific risks.

A student victim recounted her experience to the committee: at age 14 she said a classmate used AI to strip clothing from a past Instagram photo and circulated the image widely. She described the emotional toll, the time it took to remove images from platforms and the school’s limited capacity to address the harm. “The spread of AI nudes is unpunishable because it isn't considered child pornography, although it most definitely is,” the witness told the committee, urging legislative action and quicker takedown procedures by social platforms.

Committee members praised the witness’s testimony and discussed ongoing, complementary work in the Legislature addressing AI and child exploitation. The committee received public testimony and left SB 7 47 pending for additional work.