Governor Greg Abbott has signed House Bill 4211 into law, which prohibits the creation of residential property developments described as Sharia compounds in Texas. The legislation targets developments such as EPIC City, which state officials allege engaged in discriminatory practices and misled 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.”
Governor Abbott stated that organizers behind EPIC City intended to establish a city open only to Muslims, subjecting residents to Sharia law and restricting property owners’ rights, including their ability to sell land. He emphasized that the new law aims both to protect religious freedom—a principle he called fundamental for Texas—and guard against any efforts to impose Sharia law on state residents.
The bill signing event included several lawmakers: Congressman Keith Self, Senator Angela Paxton, Representative Jeff Leach, Representative Candy Noble, Representative Katrina Pierson, Representative Keresa Richardson, and Representative Matt Shaheen were present alongside other local leaders.
House Bill 4211 (Noble/Hughes) sets regulations for business models creating housing projects similar to EPIC City. The measure is designed to prevent discriminatory housing policies or unfair investment arrangements affecting Texans.
Additional photographs from the bill signing will be released when available.
