TITLE: Relating to civil actions based on and local governmental punishment of a person's refusal to violate the person's sincerely held religious belief.

SUMMARY: Relating to civil actions based on and local governmental punishment of a person's refusal to violate the person's sincerely held religious belief.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to civil actions based on and local governmental punishment of a person's refusal to violate the person's sincerely held religious belief. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Chapter 93, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is amended by adding Section 93.003 to read as follows: Sec. 93.003. VIOLATION OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF: AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE. It is an affirmative defense to a civil action based on a claim that the defendant discriminated against the plaintiff on a basis other than race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability that the defendant could not avoid the cause of action without violating the defendant's sincerely held religious belief. SECTION 2. Chapter 250, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Section 250.008 to read as follows: Sec. 250.008. REGULATIONS REQUIRING VIOLATION OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF PROHIBITED. A county or municipality may not impose a fine or other penalty against a person for violation of an ordinance, order, or other measure that prohibits discrimination on a basis other than race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability if compliance with the measure would have required the person to violate the person's sincerely held religious belief. SECTION 3. Section 93.003, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a cause of action that accrues on or after the effective date of this Act. SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.