The bill, S.B. No. 1488, aims to restrict research on potentially pandemic pathogens in Texas and establishes civil penalties for non-compliance. It introduces Chapter 158 to the Education Code, defining "gain of function research" and "potentially pandemic pathogens," and prohibits institutions of higher education from conducting or funding such research. Violating this prohibition results in ineligibility for state funds. Additionally, the bill amends the Health and Safety Code to include a new subchapter requiring entities intending to conduct research on potentially pandemic pathogens to submit a detailed report to the state at least 90 days prior to the research.

The bill also outlines the consequences for failing to submit the required report, imposing civil penalties ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 for each violation, with each day of non-compliance considered a separate violation. The attorney general is empowered to investigate and enforce these penalties, and sovereign immunity for institutions of higher education is waived in this context. The provisions of the new subchapter will apply to research beginning on or after December 1, 2025, and the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission is tasked with adopting necessary rules for implementation.

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