Texas House bill by Rep. Bonnen establishes protections for genomic data, passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Greg Bonnen seeks to protect the genetic information of Texas residents by restricting foreign access and requiring secure, domestic storage of genomic data, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 55 Democrats and 81 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, also with no opposing votes.

Greg Bonnen introduced the bill in the Texas House on Thursday, March 13, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Bonnen graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS.

Bonnen, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2013 to represent the state’s 24th House district, replacing previous state representative Larry Taylor.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to genetic information security for residents of this state; providing a civil penalty; providing a private cause of action’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill, effective Sept. 1, 2025, establishes the Texas Genomic Act of 2025, which aims to protect the genetic information of state residents. It prohibits medical and research facilities, companies, and nonprofit organizations from utilizing genome sequencing or software by or on behalf of foreign adversaries. It mandates that genomic data of Texas residents be stored only within the United States using secure encryption methods. The attorney general has investigative authority over potential violations, which can incur civil penalties of $10,000 per violation. Additionally, residents harmed by unauthorized storage or use of genomic data can pursue legal action for damages up to $5,000 per violation, plus court costs and attorney fees. Annual compliance certification to the attorney general is required.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (Republican – District 98), Rep. Will Metcalf (Republican – District 16), and Rep. Cole Hefner (Republican – District 5), along with 17 other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Friday, May 23, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.