On September 10, 2021, Williamson County Attorney Dee Hobbs requested an “expedited” ruling from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in response to his question of whether executive orders issued by Abbott in response to the...more
On September 1, 2021, more than 650 new Texas laws went into effect. As businesses ensure compliance with several of the new laws, Jackson Walker provides a summary below of a number of newly effective and upcoming laws....more
9/9/2021
/ Business Codes ,
Concealed Carry Permit ,
Concealed Weapons ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer No-Weapons Policies ,
Firearms ,
Governor Abbott ,
Gun Laws ,
Labor Code ,
New Legislation ,
Public Schools ,
Remote Working ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Vaccinations
At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 16, 2020, at the Attorney General’s request, Governor Greg Abbott utilized Section 418.016 of the Government Code to suspend certain requirements of the Texas Open Meetings Act...more
Today, Texas legislators will reconvene for a special session to address the 11 agenda items recently issued by Governor Abbott. This article summarizes the items up for discussion during the session, including two emergency...more
Of the approximately 150 bills and resolutions related to COVID-19 that were filed, only 20 were passed by the 87th Texas Legislature and sent to Governor Abbott for signature. This article summarizes three pandemic-related...more
On Monday, June 7, 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 by State Senator Lois Kolkhorst prevents...more
On October 8, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott issued Executive Order GA-32 to reopen certain venues to 75% capacity and allow resumption of elective surgeries in certain counties, with the exception of counties that reside...more
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has advised that two additional Trauma Service Areas (TSAs) now have COVID-19-related hospitalization rates high enough to trigger capacity reductions under Governor Greg...more
Update: On the evening of October 29, 2020, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego issued Order No. 13 “Stay Home/Stay Safe.” Order No. 13 supersedes all prior orders unless referenced in Order No. 13. Order No. 13 went into...more
10/31/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Abbott ,
Hospitals ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Rollbacks ,
Shelter-In-Place ,
State and Local Government ,
State of Emergency ,
Texas ,
Trial Court Orders
On October 7, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott issued an Executive Order, GA-32, that will begin to reopen bars up to 50% capacity—with the approval of relevant county officials.
Texas bars were initially ordered to close...more
On September 25, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott announced via press release that Texas’ major health insurers have agreed to continue reimbursing network healthcare providers for telehealth appointments at the same rate which...more
On September 25, 2020, the Texas Supreme Court issued an emergency order that establishes the Texas Eviction Diversion Program. The release of the Court’s order coincided with Governor Greg Abbott’s public commitment to...more
10/1/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Orders ,
Eviction ,
Governor Abbott ,
Landlords ,
Relief Measures ,
Rent ,
Rental Assistance Programs ,
Rental Property ,
Tenants ,
TX Supreme Court
Yesterday, Governor Greg Abbott announced plans to continue Texas’ reopening process after the coronavirus pandemic brought public activity in much of the state to a halt earlier this year.
Executive Order GA-30 allows...more
9/18/2020
/ Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) ,
Caregivers ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Rule ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Abbott ,
Health and Safety ,
Hospitals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
New Rules ,
Nursing Homes ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Social Distancing ,
State and Local Government
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has approved emergency amendments to Rule §33.5 that will enable retailers who sell alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption to more easily qualify for a food and beverage...more
8/27/2020
/ Alcohol Beverage Control ,
Amended Rules ,
Bars ,
Beer ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Rule ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Abbott ,
Health and Safety ,
Public Health ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Wine & Alcohol
Yesterday on July 14, 2020, Dr. Mark Escott, Austin-Travis County’s Interim Medical Director, announced new emergency rules, authorized under two ordinances passed unanimously on July 9, 2020, at a special-called Austin City...more
7/16/2020
/ City Councils ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Rule ,
Fines ,
Governor Abbott ,
Health and Safety ,
Local Ordinance ,
Masks ,
Public Health ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Public Policy ,
Social Distancing
Governor Greg Abbott today issued a proclamation suspending elective surgeries in hospitals in all counties located within 11 Trauma Service Areas (TSAs) in Texas. Governor Abbott had previously suspended elective surgeries...more
On July 3, one day after Gov. Greg Abbott announced a new order to address the coronavirus crisis in Texas, Austin Mayor Steve Adler issued an updated Order for the City of Austin. Under Gov. Abbott’s statewide order, every...more
Today, June 30, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation amending Executive Order GA-27 related to increased hospital capacity in Texas during the disaster posed by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). GA-27 became...more
On June 3, 2020, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued the latest in a series of executive orders gradually loosening Coronavirus-related restrictions on Texas businesses.
The executive order, GA-26, increases the maximum...more
Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, expanding Executive Order GA-23’s enumerated list of activities and services that may resume under the state’s second wave of reopenings. Governor Abbott’s...more
5/22/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Abbott ,
Health and Safety ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Hospitals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Physicians ,
Public Health ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Workplace Safety
On May 18th, as planned, Governor Abbott announced the next wave of statewide reopenings designed to restart the Texas economy during the Coronavirus pandemic. Abbott began the phased reopening of the state 18 days ago by...more
Last week on April 28, 2020, Governor Abbott announced that as part of Phase I of the plan to reopen Texas businesses, retail stores, restaurants, and movie theaters would be able to reopen their businesses with certain...more
...On April 27, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott announced that he intends to allow the state’s stay-at-home orders to expire on April 30, paving the way for ramping up the Texas economy again in three phases.
In Phase I and by...more
4/29/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Abbott ,
Health and Safety ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hospitals ,
Public Health ,
Quarantine ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
State and Local Government ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Travelers
In accordance with Governor Abbott’s April 17 executive order, DSHS has issued the following guidelines to assist retail employers, employees and customers in the process of re-opening businesses. More guidance is expected...more
On Friday, April 17, 2020, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced the creation of a Strike Force to Open Texas tasked with determining how to safely and strategically restart Texas’ economy. To inform the task force’s work, the...more