'HOAs don't own your yard': Homeowners Religious Freedom Act now law in Texas

Texans can celebrate the Winter Solstice this year with front porch displays thanks to action taken by the state government last spring.

Homeowners associations won't be able to object now that Senate Bill 581, the Homeowners Religious Freedom Act, is the law of the state. Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB 581 on May 31 and it became effective immediately.

"Religious Freedoms bill signing w/ @GregAbbott_TX, + Senators, & many Reps," Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R- Houston), the bill's author, said in a July 9 Twitter post. "#SB581 protects homeowners who wish to exercise religion or place certain religious displays in their front yard! HOAs don't own your yard, u do! Thanks to LG @DanPatrick, @RepSchofield et al! @txvalues"

SB 581 struck down provisions in homeowners association rules that limited rights to religious displays and allowed associations to take down religious displays on private property and permitted removal of displays considered offensive "for reasons other than religious content."

SB 581 unanimously passed the Senate and blew through the House with a 139-4 vote.

Other SB 581 joint co-authors were Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Montgomery), Sen. Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills), Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) and Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas).

The bill is intended "to provide protection for homeowners who wish to place certain religious displays in their front yard," Bettencourt said in a statement issued shortly after House passage.

The bill was triggered after "too many homeowners’ associations" adopted restrictive rules to bar religious displays on homeowners’ property, according to Bettencourt's statement.

"Texans will own their front yard again," Bettencourt said in his statement. "The HOA does not own your property and should not be in the business of placing overly burdensome restrictions on the free exercise of religious displays."