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GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT
Mr. Joe A. Esparza Deputy Secretary of State State Capitol Room 1E. Austin, Texas^78701
Dear Deputy Secretary Esparza:
Pursuant to his powers as Governor of^ the^ State^ of^ Texas,^ Greg^ Abbott^ has^ issued^ the^ following:
Executive Order No. GA-40 relating to prohibiting vaccine mandates, subject to legislative action.
The original executive order is^ attached^ to^ this letter^ of^ transmittal.
Respectfully submitted,
October 11, 2021 FILED (^) IN TH (^) UFF ICE (^) OF (^) THE SECRETARY (^) OF (^) STATE -_4€O’CLOCK
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the Governor
Attachment
POST OFFICE Box 12428 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711 512-463-2000 (VOICE) DIAL^ 7-1-1^ FOR^ RELAY^ SERVICES
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BY THE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF TEXAS
Executive Department Austin, Texas October 11, 2021
EXECUTIVE ORDER
GA4O
Relating to prohibiting vaccine mandates,
subject to legislative action.
WHEREAS, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, issued a disaster proclamation on^ March 13 , 2020, certifying under Section 4 1 8.014 of the^ Texas Government^ Code^ that^ the novel coronavirus (COVID- 19) poses an^ imminent^ threat^ of^ disaster^ for^ all^ Texas counties; and
WHEREAS, in^ each^ subsequent month effective through^ today,^ I^ have^ renewed^ the COVID-19 disaster declaration for all Texas counties; and
WHEREAS, I have issued a series^ of^ executive^ orders^ aimed^ at^ protecting^ the^ health^ and safety of Texans, ensuring^ uniformity throughout^ Texas,^ and^ achieving^ the^ least restrictive means of combatting the evolving threat to public health;^ and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 vaccines are^ strongly^ encouraged^ for those^ eligible^ to^ receive one, but must always^ be^ voluntary^ for^ Texans;^ and
WHEREAS, I^ issued^ Executive^ Orders GA-35,^ GA-38,^ and^ GA-39^ to^ prohibit governmental entities and certain others from imposing COVID-^19 vaccine mandates^ or requiring vaccine passports; and
WHEREAS, in yet another instance^ of^ federal^ overreach,^ the^ Biden^ Administration^ is now bullying many private^ entities^ into^ imposing COVID-19^ vaccine^ mandates, causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas’ s continued recovery^ from^ the^ COVID-^19 disaster; and
WHEREAS, countless Texans^ fear^ losing^ their livelihoods because they object^ to receiving a COVID- 1 9 vaccination for reasons of personal conscience,^ based^ on^ a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including^ prior recovery^ from COVID-19;^ and
WHEREAS , through Chapter 16 1 of the^ Texas^ Health^ and^ Safety^ Code,^ as^ well^ as^ other laws including Chapters 38 and 5 1 of the^ Texas^ Education^ Code,^ the^ legislature^ has established its primary role over^ immunizations,^ and^ all^ immunization^ laws^ and regulations in^ Texas^ stem^ from^ the^ laws^ established^ by the^ legislature;^ and
WHEREAS, the legislature has taken care to provide^ exemptions^ that^ allow^ people^ to^ opt out of being forced to take a vaccine for^ reasons^ of^ conscience^ or^ medical reasons;^ and
WHEREAS, I am adding this issue to the^ agenda^ for^ the^ Third^ Called^ Session^ of^ the legislature that is currently convened^ so^ that^ the^ legislature^ has^ the^ opportunity^ to consider this issue through legislation;^ and
WHEREAS, I will rescind this^ executive^ order upon^ the^ effective^ date^ of^ such^ legislation;
FILED IN THE OFFiCE OFTh
S,... SECRETARY^ OF^ STATE
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OCT (^1 )
