2023 Texas Statutes › Government Code › Title 3 - Legislative Branch › Subtitle A - Legislature › Chapter 306 - Legislative Information › Section 306.006. Commercial Use of Legislatively Produced Audio or Visual Materials

Sec. 306.006.  COMMERCIAL USE OF LEGISLATIVELY PRODUCED AUDIO OR VISUAL MATERIALS.  (a)  A person may not use audio or visual materials produced by or under the direction of the legislature or of a house, committee, or agency of the legislature for a commercial purpose unless the legislative entity that produced the audio or visual materials or under whose direction the audio or visual materials were produced gives its permission for the person's commercial use and:
(1)  the person uses the audio or visual materials only for educational or public affairs programming, including news programming; or
(2)  the person transmits an unedited feed of the audio or visual materials:
(A)  to paid subscribers; or
(B)  on an Internet website that is accessible to the public.
(b)  A person who violates Subsection (a) commits an offense.  An offense under this subsection is a Class C misdemeanor.
(c)  The legislative entity that produced the audio or visual materials or under whose direction the audio or visual materials were produced shall give its permission to a person to use the materials for a commercial purpose described by Subsection (a)(1) if the person or the person's representative submits to the legislative entity a signed, written request for the use that:
(1)  states the purpose for which the audio or visual materials will be used and the stated purpose is allowed under Subsection (a)(1); and
(2)  contains an agreement by the person that the audio or visual materials will not be used for a commercial purpose other than the stated purpose.
(d)  Subsection (a)(2) does not apply to visual materials consisting of photographs or other still images.  A legislative entity is not required to give its permission to any person to use materials for a purpose described by Subsection (a)(2) and may limit the number of persons to whom it gives its permission to use materials for a purpose described by Subsection (a)(2).
(e)  Subsection (a) and an agreement under Subsection (c)(2) do not prohibit compiling, describing, quoting from, analyzing, or researching the verbal content of the audio or visual materials for a commercial purpose.
(f)  In addition to the criminal penalty that may be imposed under Subsection (b), the attorney general shall enforce this section at the request of the legislative entity by bringing a civil action to enjoin a violation of Subsection (a) or of an agreement under Subsection (c)(2).
(g)  In this section:
(1)  "Commercial purpose" means a purpose that is intended to result in a profit or other tangible benefit.
(2)  "Visual materials" means photographic, video, or other material containing a still or moving recorded image or images.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 877, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by:
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 47 (H.B. 2377), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2013.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 209 (H.B. 3580), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2019.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 209 (H.B. 3580), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2019.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 721 (H.B. 368), Sec. 2, eff. June 10, 2019.