TEXAS: No mandatory covid shot
HB81 requires informed consent and prohibits coercion or forced COVID-19 shots
Our Stand: At-A-Glance
- HB81 would prohibit any person from compelling or coercing any Texan into receiving a COVID-19 shot. This bill would make it unlawful for an individual to have any adverse action taken upon them for refusing to take it. The bill makes it illegal for a health care provider to give the COVID-19 shot if the person is being coerced or forced and doesn’t want to take it. Any person violating the law, if passed, faces a minimum of $5000 penalty.
- The bill’s clever wording centering on informed consent and placement in the Health and Safety Code may make the bill’s protection untouchable by federal employer covid shot mandates for employees working at health care facilities receiving Medicaid or Medicare payments.
- SUGGESTED COMMENTS: State that you are in support of the bill. Share personal stories about how COVID-19 shot mandates, coercion, or discrimination negatively affected you or someone close to you over the last 2 years to support why this bill is needed. If you or someone you know was fired, lost benefits, was denied access to a public accommodation or education for declining the COVID-19 shot, or had a negative health consequence from being required to take an unwanted COVID-19 shot, please share that as well. Please consider adding a comment suggesting the protections in this bill should be expanded to cover all vaccines, not just for COVID-19.