SAN ANTONIO – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a new executive order Monday, extending the prohibition of COVID-19 vaccine mandates on private businesses and employers.
Under Executive Order GA-40, “no entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19.”
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Previously, Abbott’s executive order banning COVID-19 vaccine requirements only extended to governmental entities.
The order states that anyone violating the executive order may be subject to a fine, but cannot be confined in jail for it.
The executive order may spur more legal action against Texas as the state is in the midst of legal battles with multiple local entities over previous executive orders.
Abbott also announced that he is adding the issue to the current special session, allowing the Texas Legislature to enshrine his latest executive order into law. The executive order will only be rescinded after state lawmakers pass the bill.
Read the full executive order below.
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