Relating to genetic information security for residents of this state; providing a civil penalty; providing a private cause of action.
HB 130 creates a new chapter in the Texas Health and Safety Code, titled the Texas Genomic Act of 2025, to regulate the handling of genome sequencing data and human genomic information for residents of Texas. The bill applies to medical facilities, research facilities, companies, and nonprofit organizations that conduct genome sequencing or human genome research in the state. Its stated purpose is to prevent foreign adversaries from accessing Texans’ genetic information and to discourage the collection and analysis of genomic data for use by those foreign adversaries.
The bill prohibits covered entities from using genome sequencers or related software produced by or on behalf of a foreign adversary, a state-owned enterprise of a foreign adversary, or companies and affiliates domiciled in a foreign adversary country. It also bars the sale or transfer of Texans’ genomic sequencing data in bankruptcy or Chapter 11 reorganization to those same prohibited entities. In addition, the bill restricts storage of Texans’ genome sequencing data in foreign adversary ქვეყნies, requires reasonable encryption and cybersecurity safeguards, and requires that such data be inaccessible to persons located in those countries, with an exception for certain clinical trials and biomedical research subject to federal rules.
HB 130 also adds compliance and enforcement mechanisms. Covered entities must file an annual certification of compliance with the attorney general, who is authorized to investigate alleged violations. The attorney general may seek a civil penalty of $10,000 per violation, recover costs and fees, and bring suit in Travis County or the county where the violation occurred. The bill also creates a private cause of action for Texans who are patients or research subjects and are harmed by a violation, allowing recovery of actual damages or statutory damages up to $5,000 per violation, plus attorney’s fees and court costs.
The bill’s impact on state law is to establish a new state-level privacy and national-security framework for genomic data, adding obligations for health care, research, and biotech entities that handle sequencing information in Texas. It expands potential liability for noncompliance and gives both the attorney general and private individuals enforcement tools. The law applies prospectively to causes of action accruing on or after the effective date, and the bankruptcy-related transfer restriction applies only to bankruptcy filings on or after that date.
Overall sentiment appears strongly favorable and largely noncontroversial in the recorded votes. The bill passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly, including unanimous Senate passage and unanimous House concurrence in Senate amendments. No committee transcript objections are provided, and the vote history suggests broad bipartisan support for the bill’s emphasis on data security and limiting foreign access to sensitive genetic information.
HB 130 amends the Texas Health and Safety Code by adding Chapter 174, which imposes new restrictions on the collection, storage, transfer, and use of genomic sequencing data by covered entities operating in Texas. It creates compliance duties, annual certification requirements, attorney general enforcement authority, civil penalties, and a private right of action, thereby expanding both regulatory oversight and litigation exposure for medical, research, and private-sector entities handling genetic data.
The available voting record indicates broad support and little visible opposition. The bill passed the House 141-0 on third reading, the Senate 31-0, and the House later concurred in Senate amendments 136-0, with only a few members present not voting on some House actions. No committee discussion is available, but the unanimous or near-unanimous votes suggest the bill was viewed favorably as a privacy, cybersecurity, and foreign-adversary risk measure.
No substantive contention is reflected in the provided materials. The main policy choice embedded in the bill is its broad restriction on foreign-adversary-linked technology, storage, and data transfers, which could affect health care providers, research institutions, biotech companies, and data vendors. The only notable carveout is for certain clinical trials and biomedical research subject to federal rules, indicating an effort to avoid interfering with regulated research while still tightening security around genomic data.