Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill on June 15 that prohibits government agencies from ordering churches and houses of worship to close, following health-related orders that were handed down during the COVID-19 pandemic that mandated the closure of churches and other religious houses.
Stating that the bill is designed to protect Texans’ First Amendment right to religious freedom, Abbott said the Republican-backed bill, HB 1239, prohibits any public official or government agency in Texas “from issuing an order that closes places of worship.”
