The city of Austin will still require masks to be worn, even after the statewide mandate ends tomorrow.
Austin's city council announced the move saying it believed it had the power to enforce as a public health mandate - under Austin-Travis County Health Authority recommendations.
"The City of Austin is still legally requiring masks in our community, through our health authority rules. If state officials don’t want to do their jobs in this pandemic, then we’ll do it ourselves," said city councilor Greg Casar. "This action is both legal and the right thing to do. Cities have independent authority under TX constitution, & state law allows cities to create health rules. If state officials sue Austin, they’ll be going out of their way to harm the health of Texans."
Under the requirement, businesses in Austin will still be required to require masks to be worn.