| 1 | 1 | | 88R15499 MPF-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Toth H.B. No. 5027 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to prohibited governmental entity implementation or |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | enforcement of a vaccine mandate, mask requirement, or private |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | business or school closure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle D, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Chapter 81B to read as follows: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | CHAPTER 81B. PROHIBITED CORONAVIRUS PREVENTATIVE MEASURES |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 81B.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | (1) "COVID-19" means the 2019 novel coronavirus |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | disease and any variants of the disease. |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | (2) "Governmental entity" means this state, a local |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | government entity as defined by Section 418.004, Government Code, |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | or an agency of this state or a local government entity. |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | Sec. 81B.002. PROHIBITED FACE-COVERING MANDATE. A |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | governmental entity may not implement, order, or otherwise impose a |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | mandate requiring a person to wear a face mask or other face |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | covering to prevent the spread of COVID-19. |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | Sec. 81B.003. PROHIBITED VACCINE MANDATE. A governmental |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | entity may not implement, order, or otherwise impose a mandate |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | requiring a person to be vaccinated against COVID-19. |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | Sec. 81B.004. PROHIBITED CLOSURE MANDATE FOR PRIVATE |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS. A governmental entity may not implement, |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | order, or otherwise impose a mandate requiring the closure of a |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | private business, public school, open-enrollment charter school, |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | or private school to prevent the spread of COVID-19. |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
|---|