Texas Comptroller Don Huffines announced an executive order barring businesses that require customers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or recovery from receiving contracts or grants administered by his office.
The order requires contractors and grant recipients to certify compliance with Section 161.0085 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, which restricts businesses from imposing COVID-19 vaccination or recovery documentation on customers as a condition of entry, access, or service. The certification must remain in effect throughout the agreement.
"The government has no authority to demand medical papers from Texans just so they can access basic services," said Huffines, arguing that requiring such documentation infringes on Texans' medical privacy and personal freedom.
Texas law already makes businesses that impose these requirements ineligible for state-funded contracts and grants. Huffines' order directs the Comptroller's office to incorporate the certificate into future solicitations and agreements, making compliance an explicit contractual requirement.
Under the policy, businesses must acknowledge that requiring customers to provide COVID-19 vaccine or post-infection recovery documentation can make them ineligible for state funding. The Comptroller's office also plans to include provisions allowing agreements to be terminated immediately if contractors violate the certification.
Huffines characterized the order as a broader effort to reverse restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the policy would restore individual liberties and indicated that additional actions could follow.
The announcement does not establish a new statewide prohibition on all private businesses requiring health documentation. Instead, it focuses on eligibility for contracts and grants administered by the Comptroller's office under existing Texas law.
