| 1 | 1 | | 85R8910 SCL-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Oliverson H.B. No. 3571 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to civil actions based on and local governmental |
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| 8 | 8 | | punishment of a person's refusal to violate the person's sincerely |
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| 9 | 9 | | held religious belief. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 93, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 93.003 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 93.003. VIOLATION OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF: AFFIRMATIVE |
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| 14 | 14 | | DEFENSE. It is an affirmative defense to a civil action based on a |
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| 15 | 15 | | claim that the defendant discriminated against the plaintiff on a |
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| 16 | 16 | | basis other than race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, |
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| 17 | 17 | | or disability that the defendant could not avoid the cause of action |
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| 18 | 18 | | without violating the defendant's sincerely held religious belief. |
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| 19 | 19 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 250, Local Government Code, is amended |
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| 20 | 20 | | by adding Section 250.008 to read as follows: |
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| 21 | 21 | | Sec. 250.008. REGULATIONS REQUIRING VIOLATION OF RELIGIOUS |
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| 22 | 22 | | BELIEF PROHIBITED. A county or municipality may not impose a fine |
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| 23 | 23 | | or other penalty against a person for violation of an ordinance, |
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| 24 | 24 | | order, or other measure that prohibits discrimination on a basis |
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| 25 | 25 | | other than race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or |
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| 26 | 26 | | disability if compliance with the measure would have required the |
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| 27 | 27 | | person to violate the person's sincerely held religious belief. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 3. Section 93.003, Civil Practice and Remedies |
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| 29 | 29 | | Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a cause of action that |
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| 30 | 30 | | accrues on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 32 | 32 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 33 | 33 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 34 | 34 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 35 | 35 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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