Handling Sensitive Personal Information and Breach Notification A. As part of its contract with HHSC Contractor may receive or create sensitive personal information, as section 521.002 of the Business and Commerce Code defines that phrase. Contractor must use appropriate safeguards to protect this sensitive personal information. These safeguards must include maintaining the sensitive personal information in a form that is unusable, unreadable, or indecipherable to unauthorized persons. Contractor may consult the “Guidance to Render Unsecured Protected Health Information Unusable, Unreadable, or Indecipherable to Unauthorized Individuals” issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to determine ways to meet this standard. B. Contractor must notify HHSC of any confirmed or suspected unauthorized acquisition, access, use or disclosure of sensitive personal information related to this Contract, including any breach of system security, as section 521.053 of the Business and Commerce Code defines that phrase. Contractor must submit a written report to HHSC as soon as possible but no later than 10 business days after discovering the unauthorized acquisition, access, use or disclosure. The written report must identify everyone whose sensitive personal information has been or is reasonably believed to have been compromised. C. Contractor must either disclose the unauthorized acquisition, access, use or disclosure to everyone whose sensitive personal information has been or is reasonably believed to have been compromised or pay the expenses associated with HHSC doing the disclosure if: 1. Contractor experiences a breach of system security involving information owned by HHSC for which disclosure or notification is required under section 521.053 of the Business and Commerce Code; or 2. Contractor experiences a breach of unsecured protected health information, as 45 C.F.R. §164.402 defines that phrase, and HHSC becomes responsible for doing the notification required by 45 C.F.R. §164.404. HHSC may, at its discretion, waive Contractor's payment of expenses associated with HHSC doing the disclosure.
Access to Confidential Information Each party acknowledges that the other party, its employees or agents, may be given access to Confidential Information relating to the other parties' business or the operation of this Agreement or any negotiations relating to this Agreement.
Exceptions to Confidential Information The obligations set forth in Section 13.1 (Confidential Information) shall not apply to the extent that Confidential Information includes information which is: (a) now or hereafter, through no unauthorized act or failure to act on the Receiving Party’s part, in the public domain; (b) was in the Receiving Party’s possession before receipt from the Disclosing Party and obtained from a source other than the Disclosing Party and other than through the prior relationship of the Disclosing Party and the Receiving Party before the Separation Date; (c) hereafter furnished to the Receiving Party by a third party as a matter of right and without restriction on disclosure; (d) furnished to others by the Disclosing Party without restriction on disclosure; or (e) independently developed by the Receiving Party without use of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information. Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent the Receiving Party from disclosing Confidential Information to the extent the Receiving Party is legally compelled to do so by any governmental, investigative or judicial agency pursuant to proceedings over which such agency has jurisdiction; provided, however, that prior to any such disclosure, the Receiving Party shall: (i) assert the confidential nature of the Confidential Information to the agency; (ii) immediately notify the Disclosing Party in writing of the agency’s order or request to disclose; and (iii) cooperate fully with the Disclosing Party in protecting against any such disclosure and/or obtaining a protective order narrowing the scope of the compelled disclosure and protecting its confidentiality.
Notice and Opportunity to Defend Promptly after the receipt by Buyer or the Company and/or the Seller of notice of any action, proceeding, claim or potential claim (any of which is hereinafter individually referred to as a “Circumstance”) which could give rise to a right to indemnification under this Agreement, such party (the “Indemnified Party”) shall give prompt written notice to the party or parties who may become obligated to provide indemnification hereunder (the “Indemnifying Party”). Such notice shall specify in reasonable detail the basis and amount, if ascertainable, of any claim that would be based upon the Circumstance. The failure to give such notice promptly shall relieve the Indemnifying Party of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement, unless the Indemnified Party establishes that the Indemnifying Party either had knowledge of the Circumstance or was not prejudiced by the failure to give notice of the Circumstance. The Indemnifying Party shall have the right, at its option, to compromise or defend the claim, at its own expense and by its own counsel, and otherwise control any such matter involving the asserted liability of the Indemnified Party, provided that any such compromise or control shall be subject to obtaining the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party which shall not be unreasonably withheld. An Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any costs of settlement incurred without the written consent of the Indemnifying Party. If any Indemnifying Party undertakes to compromise or defend any asserted liability, it shall promptly notify the Indemnified Party of its intention to do so, and the Indemnified Party agrees to cooperate fully with the Indemnifying Party and its counsel in the compromise of or defense against any such asserted liability. All costs and expenses incurred in connection with such cooperation shall be borne by the Indemnifying Party, provided such costs and expenses have been previously approved by the Indemnifying Party. In any event, the Indemnified Party shall have the right at its own expense to participate in the defense of an asserted liability.
Exceptions to Confidentiality The Receiving Party’s obligations set forth in this Agreement shall not extend to any Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party: (a) that is or hereafter becomes part of the public domain (other than as a result of a disclosure by the Receiving Party or its Recipients in violation of this Agreement); (b) that is received from a Third Party without restriction on disclosure and without, to the knowledge of the Receiving Party, breach of any agreement between such Third Party and the Disclosing Party; (c) that the Receiving Party can demonstrate by competent evidence was already in its possession without any limitation on disclosure prior to its receipt from the Disclosing Party; (d) that is generally made available to Third Parties by the Disclosing Party without restriction on disclosure; or (e) that the Receiving Party can demonstrate by competent evidence was independently developed by the Receiving Party without use of or reference to the Confidential Information.