Sponsors (14)
The bill strengthens protections and remedies for worshippers and religious institutions near places of worship, trading expanded legal and enforcement tools for increased criminal and civil exposure, potential chilling of protest speech, and added enforcement and litigation costs.
Religious worshippers and people lawfully attending or seeking to attend services: gain a federal civil remedy and a criminal deterrent against harassment or obstruction within 100 feet of places of worship, giving victims a new avenue for relief.
Religious institutions and congregations: can recover damages, attorneys' fees, obtain injunctive relief, and elect statutory damages of $5,000 per violation to stop repeat harassment and offset enforcement costs.
Federal and state attorneys general: are empowered to seek injunctive relief and civil penalties to deter widespread or recurring violations, enabling public enforcement against repeat offenders.
Protesters, peaceful demonstrators, and expressive groups: face heightened risk of federal prosecution or civil liability for conduct judged to intimidate, harass, or obstruct within 100 feet, creating a realistic chilling effect on protected speech.
Individuals engaging in prohibited conduct near worship sites: face criminal penalties—up to 1 year imprisonment for a first offense and up to 3 years for repeat offenses—exposing them to substantial criminal sanctions and fines.
Taxpayers, local governments, and defendants: could incur significant costs from civil penalties, enforcement actions by federal or state AGs, and defendants' liability for damages and fees.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes federal criminal and civil remedies for intimidating, obstructing, approaching, or harassing people within 100 feet of places of worship, including jail time, statutory damages, and civil penalties.
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
Creates a new federal crime and private cause of action protecting people who are exercising or seeking to exercise religious freedom at places of worship. The bill makes it illegal to intimidate, obstruct, approach, or harass such people within 100 feet of a place of religious worship, authorizes criminal penalties (up to 1 year for a first offense, up to 3 years for repeat offenders), and provides civil remedies including injunctive relief, damages (actual or a $5,000 statutory option), and civil penalties enforceable by the Attorney General and state attorneys general.