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AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott today issued a statement following the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) letter to Texas employers clarifying the state’s law on COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the workplace.

In the letter, TWC reminds employers and employees that under Governor Abbott’s Executive Order GA-40, an employer cannot impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on an employee who qualifies for an exemption for religious, personal, or medical reasons. The letter also urges employees subjected to a vaccine mandate in violation of GA-40 to notify TWC by calling (800) 939-6631 or emailing vaccine_job_loss@twc.texas.gov. TWC will refer verified tips to the appropriate authorities for prosecution.

“Since day one, the State of Texas has taken a stand against the federal government’s unconstitutional COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the workplace, three of which have since been deemed illegal by federal courts,” said Governor Abbott. “My Executive Order clearly states that no employer can mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for an employee with a religious, personal, or medical exemption. We have now created a hotline for employees to report illegal vaccine mandates in Texas. While I encourage Texans to get the COVID-19 vaccine, it will always be voluntary, and never forced, in Texas, and we are committed to ensuring Texans’ livelihoods are not jeopardized by federal overreach.”

Read the letter from TWC.