Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law preventing businesses from mandating “vaccine passports.”
Abbott signed the legislation on Monday, expanding his previous ban on vaccine passports, which did not affect the private sector.
“Texas is open 100%, and we want to make sure that you have the freedom to go where you want without limits,” he said before signing Senate Bill 968 into law.
OREGON REPUBLICANS INTRODUCE A BAN ON COVID ‘VACCINE PASSPORTS’
Texas is open 100%.
Texans should have the freedom to go where they want without any limits, restrictions, or requirements.
Today, I signed a law that prohibits any TX business or gov’t entity from requiring vaccine passports or any vaccine information. pic.twitter.com/JQXOe4cHgY
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 7, 2021
Businesses that violate the new law could lose state contracts, and state agencies can choose to make compliance with the law a condition of getting licensed or permitted.
The new law, which takes effect immediately, will still permit businesses to employ “COVID-19 screening and infection control protocols in accordance with state and federal law to protect public health.”
Abbott has moved aggressively to reopen Texas in recent months, declaring on March 2 the state was “100% open” as he ended the statewide mask mandate.
The state has seen 10,700 new cases of COVID-19 in the past week, with 228 new deaths attributed to the disease, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker.
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Those on the Right have often spoken out against vaccine passports, saying they infringe on personal liberties. So far, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Texas have banned their use. The Biden administration has also signaled opposition to such a mandate.
Other more left-leaning states have sanctioned vaccine passports, with New York, Illinois, and Hawaii approving their use.
