The Texas Disaster Act of 1975, codified as Texas Government Code Chapter 418, grants special authority to the governor and certain local officials in times of a declared disaster.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, this temporary authority enabled officials to impose a wide variety of rules and restrictions on Texans. As evidenced in the Foundation’s research, many of these requirements have been overly burdensome, and some have even tipped into the realm of unlawfulness.
Invited Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services