Texas Passes TRAIGA: What the New AI Law Means for Your Business
On June 22, 2025, Governor Abbott signed the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA), which will take effect January 1, 2026. Any business or government agency working with AI in Texas should take note that TRAIGA is not a copy-paste of other states’ laws; rather, it specifically targets intentional misuse of AI, not just “high-risk” AI. Unlike broader “high-risk AI” frameworks emerging in other states, TRAIGA puts intent at the center of its rules, with an emphasis on preventing deliberate misuse . It also makes meaningful changes to Texas’s privacy statutes to address AI-specific issues, particularly around biometric data and transparency obligations. Who Must Comply? Government agencies are explicitly within scope if they use AI to interact with the public. Private sector companies that develop, market, sell, or otherwise provide AI-generated content or AI services to Texas residents, even if the company is based outside the state, if its AI systems ...