New Texas Legislative Session, New #BantheBible Bills!
Despite their 100% failure to pass last session and overwhelming opposition from Texas citizens year after year, Democratic state legislators brought back #BantheBible bills again in the 89th Legislature!
Hiding under the disguise of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” these harmful bills create special privileges for some and ban the free expression of Biblical beliefs, especially with regard to marriage and sexuality. Those who do not comply or agree with radical LGBT gender ideology could face fines, possible jail time, or other punishment by the government.
A little over a month into the 2025 legislative session and already a flood of aggressive #BanTheBible bills have surfaced, courtesy of many familiar faces (and some new ones) in the Texas House and Senate. A number of bills are focused on undoing hard-fought victories from last session to protect children from gender modification procedures such as Senate Bill 14 from the 88th Legislature.
The Texas Values policy team closely monitors each measure as it is filed and analyzes for harmful provisions.
Some of the worst #BantheBible bills so far include:
HB 634 by Rep. Ray Lopez
- Creates a special task force in the government led by an LGBT House member to evaluate the housing needs of LGBT senior citizens and prepare a report for the governor.
- Would seek input from radical LGBT advocacy organizations in Austin as part of their report.
HB 715 by Rep. Diego Bernal
- Amends Civil Practices and Remedies Code, Labor Code, and Government Code to create subjective definitions for “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.”
- Creates discrimination violations on the basis of “sexual orientation” within public accommodation laws.
- Requires state contractors to adopt an employment policy and hiring practices friendly to LGBT individuals.
- Creates special privileges for LGBT individuals in Property Code.
HB 894 by Rep. Ron Reynolds
- Amends Election Code to require election workers to accept photo identification for voting that may not align with a person’s “presenting gender expression or identity.”
- Places the term “gender identity” in the Texas Election Code
HB 1164 by Rep. Jessica Gonzales
- Places the terms “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” with corresponding definitions in Business and Commerce Code.
- Would punish Christian business owners who refuse to violate their religious views on marriage by providing goods or services for LGBT purposes.
- Places “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in public accommodation laws in Texas.
- Allows the Texas Workforce Commission to investigate complaints of discriminatory behavior against LGBT individuals and take civil action against offenders.
- Creates a cause of action to allow LGBT individuals to sue Christian business owners and receive compensatory and punitive damages for “discriminatory practice.”
HB 1273 by Rep. Mary Gonzalez
- Requires the Texas State Board of Education to adopt, and school districts to provide, human sexuality education that affirms “gender identity,” “gender expression,” and “sexual orientation.”
- Would require human sexuality instruction to provide information about the “health benefits” of chemical abortion drugs.
- Subjects open-enrollment charter schools to the same LGBT requirements on human sexuality instruction as public schools.
HB 1365 by Rep. Ana Hernandez
- Allows the government to punish counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists or other mental health providers who work with people from a Christian perspective. It would effectively ban people from using the Bible or referring to principles in the Bible during their counseling sessions.
- If these providers in any way discourage homosexual behavior or the desire for a gender transition surgery- including at the request of the client- they face disciplinary action by a regulatory committee.
- It could force a therapist to disclose intimate details of private counseling sessions that are revealed in public court.
HB 1601 by Rep. Jon Rosenthal
- Places the terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in Texas Education Code and Civil Practices & Remedies Code.
- Replaces the terms “husband” and “wife” in Estates Code with the term “spouse.”
- Eliminates the words “man” and “woman” throughout Family Code when discussing marriage and replaces with “two individuals.”
- Gives legal status to a relationship called a “civil union” stated to apply “primarily to cohabitating persons” and grants them all the protections and benefits of marriage.
HB 2138 by Rep. Lauren Simmons
- Discriminates against Christian foster parents who are not affirming of the LGBT agenda during verification and placement of a child.
- Places “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in Texas Family Code
HB 2141 by Rep. Lauren Simmons
- Creates an exception to a number of criminal assault-based offenses in the Texas Penal Code for conduct that is “gender-affirming care,” including for the provision of harmful puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
- Creates a definition for gender-affirming care that in Penal Code that is based on an individual’s “perception” of their sex.
HB 2724 by Rep. Sheryl Cole
- Forces emergency homeless shelters to allow biological men to sleep next to women.
- Requires emergency homeless shelters to provide staff training and professional development to employees on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Removes state funding for emergency homeless shelters that fail to adopt these policies.
SB 150 by Sen. Jose Menendez
- Places the terms “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” with corresponding definitions in Business and Commerce Code.
- Would punish Christian business owners who refuse to violate their religious views on marriage by providing goods or services for LGBT purposes.
- Places “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in public accommodation laws in Texas.
- Allows the Texas Workforce Commission to investigate complaints of discriminatory behavior against LGBT individuals and take civil action against offenders.
- Creates a cause of action to allow LGBT individuals to sue Christian business owners and receive compensatory and punitive damages for “discriminatory practice.”
SB 168 by Sen. Jose Menendez
- Allows the government to punish counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists or other mental health providers who work with people from a Christian perspective. It would effectively ban people from using the Bible or referring to principles in the Bible during their counseling sessions.
- If these providers in any way discourage homosexual behavior or the desire for a gender transition surgery- including at the request of the client- they face disciplinary action by a regulatory committee.
- It could force a therapist to disclose intimate details of private counseling sessions that are revealed in public court.
SB 366 by Sen. Sarah Eckhardt
- Amends the Government Code to add persons who “identify” as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer to the definition of an “economically disadvantaged person.”
- Mandates the state comptroller to adopt rules to increase state contract awards for LGBT owners of historically underutilized businesses.