Internal prototype — noindexed, not linked from public navigation yet.

Tex. Penal Code § 48.04

This is the official text of Tex. Penal Code § 48.04, part of Texas’s Penal Code — defines crimes and punishments in Texas.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

§ 48.04. PROHIBITION ON PURCHASE AND SALE OF ADULT STEM CELLS FOR CERTAIN INVESTIGATIONAL TREATMENTS.

Official statutory text

(a) In this section:

(1) "Adult stem cell" means an undifferentiated cell that is:

(A) found in differentiated tissue; and

(B) able to renew itself and differentiate to yield all or nearly all of the specialized cell types of the tissue from which the cell originated.

(2) "Investigational stem cell treatment" means an adult stem cell treatment that:

(A) is under investigation in a clinical trial and being administered to human participants in that trial; and

(B) has not yet been approved for general use by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

(b) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly offers to buy, offers to sell, acquires, receives, sells, or otherwise transfers any adult stem cells for valuable consideration for use in an investigational stem cell treatment.

(c) It is an exception to the application of this section that the valuable consideration is:

(1) a fee paid to a physician or to other medical personnel for services rendered in the usual course of medical practice or a fee paid for hospital or other clinical services;

(2) reimbursement of legal or medical expenses incurred for the benefit of the ultimate receiver of the investigational stem cell treatment; or

(3) reimbursement of expenses of travel, housing, and lost wages incurred by the donor of adult stem cells in connection with the donation of the adult stem cells.

(d) It is an exception to the application of this section that the actor engaged in conduct authorized under Chapter 162, Health and Safety Code.

(e) A violation of this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.