The following definitions apply unless the statute or context in which the word or phrase is used requires a different definition:
- (1) "Oath" includes affirmation.
- (2) "Person" includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity.
- (3) "Population" means the population shown by the most recent federal decennial census.
- (4) "Property" means real and personal property.
- (5) "Rule" includes regulation.
- (6) "Signed" includes any symbol executed or adopted by a person with present intention to authenticate a writing.
- (7) "State," when referring to a part of the United States, includes any state, district, commonwealth, territory, and insular possession of the United States and any area subject to the legislative authority of the United States of America.
- (8) "Swear" includes affirm.
- (9) "United States" includes a department, bureau, or other agency of the United States of America.
- (10) "Week" means seven consecutive days.
- (11) "Written" includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures.
- (12) "Year" means 12 consecutive months.
- (13) "Includes" and "including" are terms of enlargement and not of limitation or exclusive enumeration, and use of the terms does not create a presumption that components not expressed are excluded.
- (14) "Boy" means a child of the male sex.
- (15) "Father" means a parent of the male sex.
- (16) "Female" and "woman" mean an individual whose biological reproductive system is developed to produce ova.
- (17) "Girl" means a child of the female sex.
- (18) "Male" and "man" mean an individual whose biological reproductive system is developed to fertilize the ova of a female.
- (19) "Mother" means a parent of the female sex.
- (20) "Sex" means an individual's biological sex, either male or female.
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 479, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985.
Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 340, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 28, 1989.
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 543 (H.B. 229), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2025.