AUSTIN — Organizations receiving public funds in Texas cannot require consumers to provide documentation of vaccine status in order to receive any service or enter any place.

“Everyday, Texans are returning to normal life as more people get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, but, as I’ve said all along, these vaccines are always voluntary and never forced,” Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday, Abbott issued an executive order prohibiting state agencies or political subdivisions in Texas from creating a “vaccine passport” requirement, or otherwise conditioning receipt of services on an individual’s COVID-19 vaccination status.

“Government should not require any Texan to show proof of vaccination and reveal private health information just to go about their daily lives,” Abbott said. “That is why I have issued an Executive Order that prohibits government-mandated vaccine passports in Texas.

“We will continue to vaccinate more Texans and protect public health — and we will do so without treading on Texans’ personal freedoms.”