On Thursday, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo signed SB 201 into law, protecting the right to religious door displays, such as the Hindu toran and Jewish mezuzah. SB 201 supersedes HOA or residential restrictions prohibiting door displays.
The bill was a joint initiative between the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), two of the nation’s largest Hindu American and Jewish American advocacy organizations.
The bill was introduced by Senators Pazina, Neal, Flores, Scheible, and Krasner, and Assemblymembers Roth and Nguyen. Per the bill, religious displays upon dwellings that are no larger than 12” x 36” are permitted.
Unlike similar bills in other states, the Nevada bill goes further by requiring maintenance workers to store religious displays in a way that preserves their sanctity until they can be safely returned after maintenance is complete.
HAF Managing Director, Samir Kalra, lauded the historic passage, stating:
“This bill is a significant win for Nevada Hindus because it ensures residents’ right not only to observe their Hindu faith unencumbered, but also to bless their homes and everyone who enters them with the display of a toran, as their faith calls them to.”
Jolie Brislin, ADL Desert Regional Director, stated:
“Nevada Senate Bill 201 will protect all faith communities. Ensuring that individuals can display religious items on their doorways without undue restrictions allows them to freely express their faith in their homes. We are grateful for the bipartisan support in the Legislature and to our partners at the Hindu American Foundation for championing this bill.”
SB 201 is the second joint effort between HAF and ADL to protect religious door displays in the US. In 2019, they supported the passage of California bill SB 652 with the leadership of the Jewish Caucus and bill author, Senator Ben Allen.
SB 201 will go into effect on October 1, 2025, just in time for Diwali, which will fall on October 20 this year.
