TX HB4081

Amends Chapter 134A of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to establish procedures for sealing documents containing alleged trade secrets in litigation, requiring parties to file a notice of sealing along with an affidavit describing the information and factual basis for the trade secret claim

Parties filing documents they know contain another person's alleged trade secrets must file a notice of sealing, statement identifying the trade secret owner, and serve copies on all parties and the trade secret owner within 14 days

Documents filed under the sealing procedure are treated as permanently sealed once proper notice and affidavit are received; any person may intervene at any time to seal or unseal documents, and courts retain continuing jurisdiction over sealing matters

Any person may move to unseal documents, with 14 days notice by certified mail required before hearings; courts must unseal documents if the trade secret claimant fails to prove by preponderance of evidence that the document contains a trade secret

Effective September 1, 2025, applying only to documents filed on or after that date; passed the House 140-5 and Senate 31-0