The Texas House has approved prohibiting government entities from compelling pastors and other religious leaders to divulge the contents of their sermons in civil legal cases.
The chamber used a simple voice vote Friday to pass a measure that cleared the state Senate in March. Final approval can come with a largely formulaic House vote Saturday.
A similar 2015 bill passed the Senate, but didn’t become law.
In 2014, the city of Houston sought to subpoena sermons and speeches by five Houston pastors who opposed a local gay rights ordinance. Those were dropped, though, amid outcry over freedom of speech and religion.
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The “sermon safeguard” bill prohibits seeking written copies or audio recordings of religious orations “in any civil proceeding to which the governmental entity is a party.”
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