AUSTIN, Texas (NBC) – Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order Monday banning vaccine mandates in the state.
The order prevents any entity, including private businesses, from enforcing COVID-19 vaccine mandates on workers or customers.
Abbott is also calling on state lawmakers to pass a similar ban into law.
The governor, who is vaccinated and who previously was diagnosed with COVID-19, wrote in the executive order that “vaccines are strongly encouraged for those eligible to receive one, but must always be voluntary for Texans.”
The move comes after the Biden administrations announced new vaccine rules for all employers with more than 100 workers that would require those workers to be vaccinated or receive weekly COVID testing.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.