Texas § 51.955 PROHIBITED STATE AGENCY ACTIONS RELATED TO DISCLOSURE OF PUBLICLY FUNDED RESEARCH.

Texas Statutes

§ 51.955 — PROHIBITED STATE AGENCY ACTIONS RELATED TO DISCLOSURE OF PUBLICLY FUNDED RESEARCH.

Texas § 51.955

Code EDEducation Code

This text of Texas § 51.955 (PROHIBITED STATE AGENCY ACTIONS RELATED TO DISCLOSURE OF PUBLICLY FUNDED RESEARCH.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Tex. Education Code Code Ann. § 51.955 (2026).

Text

Sec. 51.955. PROHIBITED STATE AGENCY ACTIONS RELATED TO DISCLOSURE OF PUBLICLY FUNDED RESEARCH.

(a)In this section, "institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003 .

(b)A state agency that expends appropriated funds may not:

(1)enter into a research contract with an institution of higher education if that contract contains a provision precluding public disclosure of any final data generated or produced in the course of executing the contract unless the agency reasonably determines that the premature disclosure of such data would adversely affect public safety, the protection of intellectual property rights of the institution of higher education, publication rights in professional scientific publications, or valuable confidential information of the institutio

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Sec. 51.955. PROHIBITED STATE AGENCY ACTIONS RELATED TO DISCLOSURE OF PUBLICLY FUNDED RESEARCH. (a) In this section, "institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003 .
(b) A state agency that expends appropriated funds may not:
(1) enter into a research contract with an institution of higher education if that contract contains a provision precluding public disclosure of any final data generated or produced in the course of executing the contract unless the agency reasonably determines that the premature disclosure of such data would adversely affect public safety, the protection of intellectual property rights of the institution of higher education, publication rights in professional scientific publications, or valuable confidential information of the institution of higher education or a third party; or
(2) adopt a rule that is based on research conducted under a contract entered into with an institution of higher education unless the agency:
(A) has made the results of the research and all data supporting the research publicly available; or
(B) reasonably determines that the premature disclosure of such data would adversely affect public safety, the protection of intellectual property rights of the institution of higher education, publication rights in professional scientific publications, or valuable confidential information of the institution of higher education or a third party.
(c) Subsection (b)(1) does not apply to a research contract between an institution of higher education and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas or Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
(d) A response to a request for information regarding research described by Subsection (b) must be made in accordance with Chapter 552 , Government Code.
(e) This section does not require the public disclosure of personal identifying information or any other information the disclosure of which is otherwise prohibited by law.

Legislative History

Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1024 (H.B. 1295 ), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2015. Amended by: Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 137 (S.B. 5 ), Sec. 2, eff. December 1, 2025, subject to resolution of an election contest under Chapter 233 , Election Code, relating to Article III , Section 68 , Texas Constitution.