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Senate passes bill to restrict foreign access to Texans’ genetic data
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Summary
The Senate approved committee substitute House Bill 130 to increase protections for genetic information, a measure framed by sponsors as a response to national‑security concerns about foreign actors harvesting genomic data.
The Texas Senate passed a committee substitute to House Bill 130, legislation designed to protect residents’ genomic data from foreign adversaries and restrict certain transfers of genetic information that sponsors described as a national‑security risk.
Senator Hughes carried the measure on the Senate floor and noted concerns raised by intelligence officials about foreign actors acquiring genomic sequencing data. The bill was described as limiting some data transfers and requiring safeguards for genetic information held by entities operating in Texas.
Senators said the bill aims to prevent adversarial exploitation of genomic information, including commercial genetic‑testing databases, for purposes the transcript characterized as national security threats. The committee substitute and floor amendment language reflected stakeholder engagement and the Senate adopted the measure on final passage by a recorded vote of 31 ayes and no nays.
Floor remarks emphasized the bill’s focus on data security and directed agencies and entities holding genetic data to implement protections rather than creating criminal penalties in the floor record. The measure had broad bipartisan support during the floor session.
