Sponsors (18)
The bill strengthens federal protection and remedies for people and institutions at or near places of worship, trading broader enforcement and damages for increased criminal/civil exposure, potential costs to governments and defendants, and the risk of chilling lawful protest due to uncertain definitions.
People who are lawfully attending or trying to attend religious services (congregants, clergy, families) gain a federal cause of action and a criminal deterrent against being harassed, intimidated, obstructed, or impeded within 100 feet of worship sites.
Religious institutions can recover damages, attorneys' fees, injunctive relief, and may elect statutory damages ($5,000 per violation), improving their ability to stop repeat harassment and obtain compensation.
The Department of Justice and state attorneys general can bring civil suits and seek injunctions and penalties, enabling public enforcement to deter widespread or recurring violations against worship sites.
Protesters, counter-protesters, and peaceful demonstrators risk federal prosecution or civil liability for conduct near worship sites, which may chill constitutionally protected speech and assembly.
Broad or vague definitions (e.g., "course of conduct," "harass," and inclusion of parking lots) create legal uncertainty about what protest tactics are lawful, likely prompting increased litigation to resolve scope and boundaries.
Individuals convicted under the law face criminal penalties (up to 1 year for a first offense and up to 3 years for repeat offenses) and fines, producing serious personal consequences for defendants.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes federal criminal and civil penalties for intimidating, obstructing, approaching, or harassing people exercising religious worship within 100 feet of a place of worship, with statutory damages and AG enforcement.
Creates a new federal criminal and civil cause of action making it unlawful to intimidate, obstruct, approach, or harass people who are exercising or seeking to exercise religious rights within 100 feet of a place of religious worship. The law authorizes up to one year in prison for a first criminal offense (three years for repeat offenders), fines, a private civil right of action with injunctive relief, compensatory/punitive damages or an alternative statutory damage of $5,000 per violation, and enforcement authority for the U.S. Attorney General and state attorneys general with civil penalties for violations.
Official title: To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit harassment of persons lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship, within a distance of 100 feet or closer to such place of religious worship, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 9, 2026 by Thomas Suozzi · Last progress April 9, 2026