Comptroller Huffines announced an executive order barring any business that demands proof of COVID-19 vaccination or recovery from its customers from receiving a Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts contract or grant. Under the order, every contractor and grantee must certify that it complies with Section 161.0085, Texas Health and Safety Code, and does not require customers to show COVID-19 vaccination or post-transmission recovery documentation to enter, gain access to, or receive service from its business. The Comptroller’s office is writing immediate-termination authority into its agreements to enforce the certification.
These requirements will be standard terms in future contracts and grants administered by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The agency will incorporate the vaccine passport certification into its solicitations and agreements going forward.
Under the order, contractors and grantees must certify that they:
- Comply with Section 161.0085, Texas Health and Safety Code, for the full term of the agreement.
- Do not require customers to provide any documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccination or post-transmission recovery to enter, gain access to, or receive service from the business.
- Acknowledge that requiring such documentation makes the business ineligible for a state-funded contract or grant.
The full press release can be found here.
