HB 2318 — An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in riot, disorderly conduct and related offenses, providing for the offense of interference with religious worship.

PRINTER'S NO.    3092

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          HOUSE BILL
                          No. 2318
                                                 Session of
                                                   2026

     INTRODUCED BY BENNINGHOFF, ARMANINI, BERNSTINE, M. BROWN,
        COOPER, GILLEN, HAMM, KAUFFMAN, KOZAK, KRUPA, KUZMA,
        M. MACKENZIE, MOUL, OWLETT, RADER, STAATS, STENDER AND WATRO,
        MARCH 25, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 26, 2026


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in riot, disorderly conduct and
 3      related offenses, providing for the offense of interference
 4      with religious worship.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.      Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 8   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 9   § 5508.1.      Interference with religious worship.
10      (a)   Offense.--A person commits the offense of interfering
11   with religious worship if, with the intent to prevent, disrupt
12   or materially interfere with a permitted religious worship
13   service or access to a religious place of worship, the person:
14            (1)    Knowingly enters or remains inside of a place of
15      religious worship after being lawfully notified to leave and
16      by remaining materially interrupts or disrupts lawful
17      religious activities.
18            (2)    By force, threat or physical obstruction:
 1                  (i)    Injures, intimidates or physically interferes
 2            with a person lawfully exercising religious worship.
 3                  (ii)    Blocks or impedes ingress or egress from a
 4            place of religious worship.
 5      (b)     Grading.--Violations of this section shall be graded as
 6   follows:
 7            (1)   A violation of subsection (a)(1) shall be graded as
 8      a misdemeanor of the third degree.
 9            (2)   A violation of subsection (a)(2) shall be graded as
10      a misdemeanor of the second degree.
11      (c)     Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
12   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
13   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
14      "Physical obstruction."        Conduct that significantly impedes
15   entrance or exit, including chaining, standing in a group,
16   barricading or using vehicles or equipment.
17      "Place of religious worship."           A building or immediately
18   adjacent grounds regularly used for religious worship.
19      Section 2.        This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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