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Bill

HB 4516

Relating to prohibiting the use of Chinese technology to collect, process, transfer, or store biometric, genetic, or medical data; creating a criminal offense.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Ryan Guillen

Texas bill criminalizes use of Chinese technology for collecting/storing biometric, genetic, or medical data to prevent foreign access to sensitive health information.

Referred to State Affairs
#biometricidentifiers&voiceprints(s0449) #business&commerce--general(i0050) #crimes--miscellaneous(i0200) #dna(s0100) #health--general(i0385) #health--privacy/useofinformation(i0389) #people'srepublicofchina(gn3a2) #protectionofpersonalinformation(i0003)
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Bill Summary · HB 4516

Legislative bill overview

HB 4516 would prohibit the use of Chinese technology to collect, process, transfer, or store biometric, genetic, or medical data in Texas and creates criminal penalties for violations. The bill aims to prevent sensitive health and identity information from being accessible to Chinese entities or technology systems.

Why is this important

Biometric, genetic, and medical data are among the most sensitive personal information categories. If compromised, this data could enable identity theft, medical fraud, discrimination, or foreign surveillance. The bill reflects growing concerns about data security and foreign technological dependencies in critical health infrastructure.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition and scope challenges: "Chinese technology" is vague—does it apply to components, software, cloud services, or partial ownership? This ambiguity could create enforcement difficulties and unintended consequences for legitimate technology vendors.
  • Economic and trade implications: Broad restrictions on Chinese technology could increase costs for healthcare providers, limit competitive options, trigger retaliatory trade measures, or violate federal commerce regulations.
  • Practical implementation: Healthcare systems would need to audit all technology stacks, which is technically complex and expensive; determining a technology's origin in integrated systems is often difficult.
  • Constitutional questions: Criminal penalties raise due process concerns if "Chinese technology" isn't precisely defined, potentially making enforcement arbitrary.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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