On May 22, 2025, the House of Representatives voted on and passed SB20, a bill created by the state of Texas that could end up banning all anime. The bill had been voted on and passed by the Senate on March 12, 2025, by both Democrats and Republicans. This means, all that needs to happen is for Texas Governor Greg Abbott to sign it for it to become official law.
The bill does not specifically target anime; however, anime, video games, and other forms of digital media could fall under the bill’s scope of cracking down on explicit content involving minors, whether real, drawn, or AI-generated. The bill would make it illegal to possess, share, or create obscene material depicting minors.
Penalties for violating SB20 include State Jail Felony, all the way up to Second-Degree Felony charges for repeat offenses. As the world enters the digital age, especially with AI gaining prominence, laws such as this are sure to come up. What that means for your 10,000-year-old demon masquerading as a 10-year-old girl remains to be seen; however, under this law, possessing that content could, in fact, land you behind bars.
As of the time of this writing, Texas has not signed it into law. If it does get signed, the bill will become law on September 1, 2025.
Source: Chibi Reviews YouTube
