Bill Text: TX HR646 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Expressing support for the protection of religious liberty and urging local and state law enforcement authorities to work to prevent and report anti-religious hate crimes.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-15 - Referred to State Affairs [HR646 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HR646-Introduced.html
87R19397 TBO-D | ||
By: Jetton | H.R. No. 646 |
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WHEREAS, The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and | ||
Article One of the Texas Constitution uphold and protect the | ||
freedom for all people to manifest, teach, practice, worship, and | ||
observe their religion; and | ||
WHEREAS, Violations of religious liberty are often motivated | ||
by fear and hatred; according to a 2019 report from the Federal | ||
Bureau of Investigation, 20.1 percent of single-bias hate crime | ||
incidents were motivated by religious bias, and throughout that | ||
year, 1,715 people were victims of anti-religious hate crimes; 13.2 | ||
percent of these crimes were anti-Islamic in nature, 13.2 percent | ||
were anti-various Christian religions, 60.2 percent were | ||
anti-Jewish, 3.5 percent were anti-Sikh, 0.4 percent were | ||
anti-Hindu, and 0.3 percent were anti-Buddhist; and | ||
WHEREAS, From 2006 through 2019, 29 attacks against mosques | ||
occurred in Texas, including multiple shootings, bomb threats, and | ||
acts of arson and vandalism; from May 2020 through March 2021, more | ||
than 60 incidents of arson, vandalism, and other methods of | ||
destruction occurred at Catholic Churches throughout the U.S., | ||
including damage to statues and windows of churches in Texas; from | ||
2015 through 2018, 151 anti-Semitic incidents occurred in Texas, | ||
including harassment, vandalism, and assault; and | ||
WHEREAS, All anti-religious hate crimes are inconsistent | ||
with our nation's founding principles, and it is imperative that | ||
these issues be addressed; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby express support for the rights and dignity of | ||
citizens of all faiths and strongly condemn racism, intimidation, | ||
violence, vandalism, arson, and other crimes targeting places of | ||
worship and their congregants; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives affirm that all | ||
citizens should live without fear or intimidation in practice of | ||
their faith; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge local and | ||
state law enforcement authorities to work to prevent and report | ||
anti-religious hate crimes. |