Tex. Educ. Code § 51.954 · Subchapter Z. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
DISCLOSURE OF SPONSORS OF CONTRACTED RESEARCH IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
Text of section as added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 326 (S.B. 20), Sec. 24
Sec. 51.954. DISCLOSURE OF SPONSORS OF CONTRACTED RESEARCH IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
(a) In any public communication the content of which is based on the results of sponsored research, a faculty member or other employee or appointee of an institution of higher education who conducted or participated in conducting the research shall conspicuously disclose the identity of each sponsor of the research.
(b) In this section:
(1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
(2) "Public communication" means oral or written communication intended for public consumption or distribution, including:
(A) testimony in a public administrative, legislative, regulatory, or judicial proceeding;
(B) printed matter including a magazine, journal, newsletter, newspaper, pamphlet, or report; or
(C) posting of information on a website or similar Internet host for information.
(3) "Sponsor" means an entity that contracts for or provides money or materials for research.
(4) "Sponsored research" means research:
(A) that is conducted under a contract with, or that is conducted under a grant awarded by and pursuant to a written agreement with, an individual or entity other than the institution conducting the research; and
(B) in which payments received or the value of materials received under that contract or grant, or under a combination of more than one such contract or grant, constitutes at least 50 percent of the cost of conducting the research.
Text of section as added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1024 (H.B. 1295), Sec. 1
Sec. 51.954. DISCLOSURE OF SPONSORS OF RESEARCH IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
(a) In any public communication the content of which is based on the results of sponsored research, a faculty member or other employee or appointee of an institution of higher education who conducted or participated in conducting the research shall conspicuously disclose the identity of each sponsor of the research.
(b) In this section:
(1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
(2) "Public communication" means oral or written communication intended for public consumption or distribution, including:
(A) testimony in a public administrative, legislative, regulatory, or judicial proceeding;
(B) printed matter including a magazine, journal, newsletter, newspaper, pamphlet, or report; or
(C) posting of information on a website or similar Internet host for information.
(3) "Sponsor" means an entity that contracts for or provides money or materials for research.
(4) "Sponsored research" means research:
(A) that is conducted under a contract with or a grant from an individual or entity, other than the institution conducting the research, for the purpose of the research; and
(B) in which payments received or the value of materials received under that contract or grant, or under a combination of more than one such contract or grant, constitutes at least 50 percent of the cost of conducting the research.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History (Text of section as added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 326 (S.B. 20), Sec. 24)
Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 326 (S.B. 20), Sec. 24, eff. September 1, 2015.
History (Text of section as added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1024 (H.B. 1295), Sec. 1)
Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1024 (H.B. 1295), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.51.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 a790a46c5963acfd7cfc43e2c13751e2de308ad003612a82b98b980155432420
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
- versions print different catchlines
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