| 1 | 1 | | 2023S0170-T 02/17/23 |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lozano H.B. No. 3721 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a prohibition on COVID-19 vaccine mandates. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 161, Health and Safety |
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| 10 | 10 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 161.0015 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 161.0015. PROHIBITED COVID-19 VACCINE MANDATES. (a) |
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| 12 | 12 | | The state or a political subdivision of this state, including a |
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| 13 | 13 | | public school district, an open-enrollment charter school, or |
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| 14 | 14 | | public health authority may not implement, order, or otherwise |
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| 15 | 15 | | impose a mandate requiring an individual to be vaccinated against |
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| 16 | 16 | | COVID-19. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a health care facility |
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| 18 | 18 | | owned or operated by a political subdivision of this state may |
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| 19 | 19 | | require an employee or applicant for employment to provide |
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| 20 | 20 | | documentation certifying the employee's or applicant's COVID-19 |
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| 21 | 21 | | vaccination to be employed by the facility. |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 23 | 23 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 24 | 24 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 25 | 25 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 26 | 26 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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