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Eight investigations against private employers are underway for alleged violations of Texas’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate ban, according to records obtained by The Dallas Express.
The law, known as Senate Bill 7 and now codified as Chapter 81D of the Texas Health & Safety Code, took effect on January 1, 2024. It prohibits private employers from requiring COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment and authorizes the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to investigate violations and impose penalties of up to $50,000 per occurrence.
According to the TWC:
- 1 employer has been penalized so far.
The TWC did not disclose the identity or location of the penalized employer, citing confidentiality. The commission’s public records officer said it had referred the matter to the Texas Attorney General’s Office for a ruling on whether the information can be released.
Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston), who authored the legislation, hailed the early enforcement figures as proof the law is working.
“As the author of the strongest ban on Covid vaccine mandates in the nation, which carries a $50,000 per occurrence penalty, I’m not surprised we have had very few violations,” said Middleton in an email to The Dallas Express. “It was a tough battle but I fought the woke Covid vaccine lobby and won. Everyone should get to make their own health care decisions on whether or not to get the Covid vaccine and nobody should have their job threatened over it.” --->READ MORE HERE
A Southern California woman was sentenced to prison for stealing nearly $1 million through a scheme that targeted COVID-19 unemployment benefits.
The woman was identified as Lizette Berrios Lathon, 48, of Moreno Valley, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. She worked alongside her husband, Kenneth Andrew Lathon, 50, during the scheme.
Along with the COVID-related theft, Lizette is a former Amtrak employee who also fraudulently obtained more than $63,000 in sickness benefits while working at the railroad company, prosecutors said.
The COVID-related crimes occurred from 2020 through March 2021. From 2014 until at least September 2022, Lizette operated at least three tax preparation businesses located in Los Angeles and Moreno Valley.
Prosecutors said the couple took advantage of the expanded eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits made possible by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in 2020.
Lizette submitted fraudulent applications with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) using names, Social Security numbers, and personal information that was stolen from her former clients who used her tax preparation companies. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to relevant/related stories and resources:
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