Texas Executive Order Says No to Vaccine Mandates

As the federal government is in the process of implementing a federal vaccine mandate for all companies with more than 100 employees, Texas is saying it’s not going to happen.

On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order banning businesses in the Lone Star State from turning away employees or consumers who aren’t vaccinated, and yesterday, the Texas House Committee held a hearing to consider a bill, House Bill 155, that would make the ban a state law.

In the executive order, Abbot says that COVID-19 vaccines are “strongly encouraged” for those who are eligible but that they “must always be voluntary for Texans.”

On Oct. 12, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent its vaccination rule to the White House for review; it’s unclear how long it will take before it is finalized, though Pres. Joe Biden called for an expedited process.

Read Texas’ full executive order here.