Texas Business and Commerce Code 503A.001 – Definitions
Terms Used In Texas Business and Commerce Code 503A.001
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
In this chapter:
(1) “Biological sample” means a material part of the human body, or a discharge or derivative part of the body, including tissue, blood, urine, or saliva that is known to contain DNA.
(2) “Deidentified data” means data not reasonably linked to and that cannot reasonably be used to infer information about an identifiable individual.
(3) “Direct-to-consumer genetic testing company” means an entity that:
(A) offers genetic testing products or services directly to individuals as consumers of those products or services; or
(B) collects, uses, or analyzes genetic data that:
(i) results from a direct-to-consumer genetic testing product or service; and
(ii) an individual rather than a health care provider provides to the entity.
(4) “DNA” means deoxyribonucleic acid.
(5) “Express consent” means an individual’s affirmative response to a clear and meaningful notice regarding the collection, use, or disclosure of genetic data for a specific purpose.
(6) “Genetic data” means any data, regardless of format, concerning an individual’s genetic characteristics. The term:
(A) includes:
(i) raw sequence data derived from sequencing all or a portion of an individual’s extracted DNA;
(ii) genotypic and phenotypic information obtained from analyzing an individual’s raw sequence data; and
(iii) health information regarding the health conditions that an individual self-reports to a company and that the company:
(a) uses for scientific research or product development; and
(b) analyzes in connection with the individual’s raw sequence data; and
(B) does not include deidentified data.
(7) “Genetic testing” means a laboratory test of an individual’s complete DNA, regions of DNA, chromosomes, genes, or gene products to determine the presence of the individual’s genetic characteristics.
(8) “Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, business, or business trust or the legal representative of an organization.