Sponsors (12)
The bill strengthens legal protections and remedies for worshippers and religious institutions near places of worship, while trading off increased criminal and civil exposure for protesters, potential chilling of speech, enforcement costs, and legal uncertainty about the law's scope.
People lawfully attending or seeking to attend religious services (and the congregations that host them) gain a new federal remedy and criminal deterrent against harassment, obstruction, or intimidation within 100 feet of worship sites, making it easier to protect access to worship.
Religious institutions can obtain civil relief including damages, attorneys' fees, injunctive relief, and an option of statutory damages ($5,000 per violation), improving their ability to recover losses and stop repeat harassment.
The Department of Justice and State attorneys general can pursue injunctive relief and civil penalties, enabling public enforcement to deter widespread or recurring violations and provide an enforcement backstop beyond private lawsuits.
Protesters, demonstrators, or others engaging in expressive activity near worship sites risk federal prosecution or civil liability if their conduct is judged to intimidate, harass, or obstruct, which could chill lawful protest and expressive activity.
Individuals convicted under the criminal provisions face meaningful jail time (up to 1 year for a first offense and up to 3 years for repeat offenses) and fines, imposing substantial criminal penalties for conduct near worship sites.
Broad or vague statutory language (e.g., definitions like "course of conduct," "harass," and including parking lots) may create legal uncertainty about lawful protest tactics and prompt increased litigation to clarify scope.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes federal criminal and civil penalties for intimidating, obstructing, approaching, or harassing people within 100 feet of places of religious worship, and enables private and government lawsuits with damages and penalties.
Introduced April 9, 2026 by Thomas Suozzi · Last progress April 9, 2026
Creates a federal crime and private civil cause of action to protect people and places engaged in religious worship from intimidation, obstruction, harassment, or unwanted approach within 100 feet of a place of religious worship. It allows criminal penalties (up to 1 year in prison for a first offense, up to 3 years for repeat offenses) and civil relief including injunctions, damages, attorneys’ fees, and an option for $5,000 statutory damages per violation; the Department of Justice and state attorneys general may also sue and seek civil penalties.