Dallas Austin

This afternoon, Dallas County issued a mandatory masking order. A full copy of the Order can be accessed here.  The Order comes on the heels of a Dallas district court judge issuing a temporary restraining order yesterday evening preventing enforcement of Governor Abbott’s ban on local mask mandates. The Dallas County Order takes effect at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, August 11, 2021 and requires as follows. 1.  Who is impacted? Commercial entities in Dallas County providing goods or services directly to the public. All childcare centers and pre-K through 12th-grade public schools. All contract

The vaccine and mask wars are not over in Texas.  On June 7, 2021 Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a bill that prohibits any business operating in Texas from requiring what has been referred to as a “vaccine passport.” SB 968 prevents any Texas business from asking customers to show proof of their vaccination status or post-infection recovery status in exchange for receiving services. This law comes after Abbott issued a similar executive order on April 5, 2021 that applied only to state agencies and private organizations that receive state funding. Nursing homes and long-term care

Even as the nation’s vaccination rate increases, vaccination requirements by employers continue to create significant legal conflicts with their employees. Houston Methodist Hospital implemented a policy requiring all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  Over 150 employees objected, protested and filed suit claiming in part that the vaccine had not been fully approved by the FDA, and that they were concerned about side effects or did not want the vaccine. The Hospital responded by stating that it played a significant role in public health and safety which necessitated the vaccine p

The year of 2020 had employers learning and re-learning their protocol for safety in their offices and job environments. Unfortunately, it looks like 2021 will be similar. On June 4, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) updated its guidance as to COVID-19 vaccine requirements in the work-place. EEOC provided clarification regarding employer-required mandatory vaccinations, employer and third-party provided vaccine incentives, and confidentiality of employees’ vaccination information. However, there are still questions surrounding employers offering employees vaccin

The lunar landscape may seem like an appealing change of scenery after 14 long months of the COVID-19 pandemic.  But whether you are embarking on a Space X rocket, Southwest jet, or the elevator of a place of business, are vaccine passports the new norm?  Can businesses require them? 1.    What is a vaccine passport? A vaccine passport is proof that a person has been immunized against COVID-19. It could be in the form of a smartphone app or a written certificate. The idea of a vaccine passport is not new. It was used in a similar sense over a hundred years ago with the plague and smallpox.