Data Privacy · Texas
Texas Data Privacy and Security Act
HB 4 - enacted in Texas.
- Status
- Enacted
- Enacted
- 2023
- States with data privacy laws
- 21
- Texas tracker score
- 69/100 Top 10%
The bottom line
Texas Data Privacy and Security Act is an enacted law in Texas, part of a mature, broadly-adopted data privacy landscape.
- Enacted
- effective 2024-07-01
- 21
- states have data privacy laws
- 21/21
- data privacy laws enacted nationally
- 69/100
- Texas tracker score
Data compiled 2026-03-18 from the official Texas legislative record linked below; laws can be amended or repealed after this date.
Category catalog share · regulations
How 21 tracked data privacy records split by state
Exclusive Texas vs other-state counts in this category (sum to the category total). Orthogonal to the peer scatter below, which plots enacted volume against portal tracker score.
Regulatory Snapshot: Texas Data Privacy and Security Act
Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (HB 4) is an enacted law in Texas under the Data Privacy category. It was enacted on 2023-06-18 and becomes effective on 2024-07-01. Texas currently has 5 regulations tracked here, with 5 records marked enacted in this dataset. PlainRegWatch's tracker score is 69/100; it summarizes coverage within the five categories this site tracks and is not an official state rating. PlainRegWatch compiled this entry's data on 2026-03-18; consult the linked official source for the current, authoritative text.
Nationally, 21 data privacy statutes have been enacted and 0 additional bills remain pending - 21 distinct jurisdictions have codified rules in this area so far. That places Texas within a mature and broadly adopted data privacy landscape where compliance programs typically hinge on definitions in HB 4 itself.
Applicability under Texas Data Privacy and Security Act: Any entity in TX processing personal data. No revenue threshold. Penalty exposure is documented as: $7,500/violation. AG with 30-day cure (sunsets 2026). Notable exemptions: Small businesses (SBA), HIPAA, GLBA, nonprofits, state agencies..
Summary
Broadest applicability — no revenue or consumer count thresholds.
Key Requirements
- Full consumer rights.
- Universal opt-out.
- Data protection assessments.
- Purpose limitation and minimization.
Penalties
- $7,500/violation.
- AG with 30-day cure (sunsets 2026).
Applicability
- Any entity in TX processing personal data.
- No revenue threshold.
Exemptions
- Small businesses (SBA), HIPAA, GLBA, nonprofits, state agencies.
Category context
How Texas sits among data privacy peers
21 states have a tracked record in data privacy ; Texas ranks #3 by portal tracker score among those peers. Each point is one state with at least one data privacy regulation in this archive.
Read the peer-state figures
- California: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 100/100.
- Colorado: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 76/100.
- Texas (this state): 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 69/100.
- Connecticut: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 62/100.
- Minnesota: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 62/100.
- Oregon: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 62/100.
- Delaware: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 59/100.
- Virginia: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 59/100.
- Utah: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 55/100.
- Florida: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 48/100.
- Maryland: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 48/100.
- New Jersey: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 48/100.
- Rhode Island: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 48/100.
- Vermont: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 48/100.
- Indiana: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 31/100.
- Iowa: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 31/100.
- Kentucky: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 31/100.
- Montana: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 31/100.
- Nebraska: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 31/100.
- New Hampshire: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 31/100.
- Tennessee: 1 enacted of 1 tracked data privacy record, tracker score 31/100.
Dashed lines mark the peer averages in this category. The tracker score summarizes enacted records across all five policy areas PlainRegWatch tracks; it is not enforcement strength or legal burden. Read how tracker scores are computed.
Tracker-score ranking on data privacy
Top peer states by portal tracker score among jurisdictions with a data privacy record in this archive.
| # | State | Tracker score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 100 |
| 2 | Colorado | 76 |
| 3 | Texas (this state) | 69 |
| 4 | Connecticut | 62 |
| 5 | Minnesota | 62 |
| 6 | Oregon | 62 |
| 7 | Delaware | 59 |
| 8 | Virginia | 59 |
| 9 | Utah | 55 |
| 10 | Florida | 48 |
Read with Texas Data Privacy and Security Act
Nearest data privacy volume peers and same-state archive siblings for this ENACTED · MID row.
ENACTED MID
Colorado · 1 enacted
Colorado holds 1 enacted data privacy rows (more by 0 than Texas); tracker 76/100.
Connecticut · 1 enacted
Connecticut holds 1 enacted data privacy rows (more by 0 than Texas); tracker 62/100.
Minnesota · 1 enacted
Minnesota holds 1 enacted data privacy rows (more by 0 than Texas); tracker 62/100.
Oregon · 1 enacted
Oregon holds 1 enacted data privacy rows (more by 0 than Texas); tracker 62/100.
Texas Responsible AI Governance Act · ENACTED
Another Texas archive row (AI Regulation) stamped ENACTED beside ENACTED Texas Data Privacy.
Texas Minimum Wage Act · ENACTED
Another Texas archive row (Employment & Worker Protection) stamped ENACTED beside ENACTED Texas Data Privacy.
Disclaimer: This summary is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Regulation details may have changed since this data was compiled (2026-03-18). Always consult official sources and qualified legal counsel for compliance guidance.