'Vaccine passports are now prohibited': Abbott signs ban into law

Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a bill preventing businesses from requiring individuals to provide proof of their coronavirus vaccination before providing services, according to a report by The Texas Tribune.

Senate Bill 968 (SB 968), relating to "public health disaster and public health emergency preparedness and response," was signed into law on June 7, much to the satisfaction of the bill's sponsor, Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham).

"Vaccine passports banned in Texas! Thank you [Gov. Abbott] for signing my SB 968 that bans government or business from requiring proof of vaccination status. This bill protects Texans' private medical information," Kolkhorst tweeted.

Additionally, Abbott signed an executive order in April prohibiting state agencies, political subdivisions and organizations that receive taxpayer dollars from issuing "vaccine passports" or confirming an individual had received the COVID-19 vaccination prior to providing services, according to a report by The Hill.

“I’m signing a law today that prohibits any business operating in Texas from requiring vaccine passports or any vaccine information," Abbott wrote on Twitter before signing the bill. “Vaccine passports are now prohibited in the Lone Star State.”

According to the Texas Tribune's report, companies who demand clients to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to receive service may be refused state contracts and could also lose their licenses or operating permits as a result of SB 968.

“Texas is open 100%, and we want to make sure you have the freedom to go where you want without limits," Abbott stated.

However, the legislation comes as the Texas Department of State Health Services reports that less than 40% of all Texans have received at least one dose of the vaccine. As of June 9, approximately 37.2% of Texas' 29 million people have been fully vaccinated, per the Texas Tribune's report.

In order for Texas to establish herd immunity, health experts believe that 75 to 90% of Texans must develop immunity to COVID-19.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, one barrier to Texas achieving herd immunity is that vaccinations are not approved for children under the age of 12, who account for around 17% of the population.