Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott has signed House Bill 4211 into law, targeting residential property developments such as EPIC City that were alleged to be creating Sharia compounds and engaging in discriminatory practices against Texans.

"One of the issues at stake is the freedom of religion," said Governor Abbott. “Another issue at stake is what’s called the right to contract. The fact is, religious freedom is a central part of the Texas Constitution. But bad actors like EPIC and EPIC City tried to use religion as a form of segregation. We will ensure that we have the laws and law enforcement in place to prevent attempts to build such discriminatory compounds in the state of Texas."

During his remarks, Abbott described how organizers behind EPIC City attempted to establish a community open only to Muslims, enforce Sharia law on residents, and limit property owners’ rights to sell their land. He stated that the new legislation aims to preserve religious freedom while preventing forced imposition of Sharia law within Texas.

The bill signing was attended by several state and local officials, including Congressman Keith Self, Senator Angela Paxton, Representative Jeff Leach, Representative Candy Noble, Representative Katrina Pierson, Representative Keresa Richardson, and Representative Matt Shaheen.

House Bill 4211 (Noble/Hughes) introduces regulations for business models that create housing developments like EPIC City. The goal is to prevent discriminatory housing arrangements and unfair investment practices that could negatively affect Texans.

Additional photos from the event are expected to be released soon.