Some states have embraced vaccine requirements for customers and employees alike. Others are pushing back, going so far as to legislate against them.
Vaccine mandates continue to be a topic of contention in the U.S. after Texas governor Greg Abbott this week failed to pass a new bill into legislature that would have banned employers from mandating such measures. Abbott’s Senate Bill 51 would have blocked any Texas entity, including hospital and private businesses, from requiring COVID vaccines for their staff. However, the bill faced issues after businesses spoke out against the proposals. The bill did not end up with enough votes to pass in the upper chamber before lawmakers adjourned on Tuesday morning this week. It should be noted, though, that the failed legislation is not the same as an earlier executive order that was issued by Abbott earlier this month, which banned any Texas entity from requiring COVID vaccines not only for staff but also for customers. The legislature would have simply expanded on this. So vaccine mandates are still effectively banned in Texas, despite the legislature failing to pass.
