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Protecting Places of Worship: New Harassment Bans and Penalties

This bill prohibits harassing or obstructing people who are entering or leaving places of religious worship. It aims to ensure safety for those exercising their religious freedom by establishing clear boundaries and penalties for intimidation.
Key points
Prohibits intimidating or blocking people within 100 feet of a place of worship.
Creates an 8-foot 'buffer zone' against harassment for people within 100 feet of the building.
Establishes criminal penalties, including fines and jail time for offenders.
Allows victims to sue for $5,000 in statutory damages per violation.
Covers the entire property, including parking lots, entrances, and driveways.
Provides for significantly harsher sentences if the conduct results in injury or death.
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Status:
Introduced
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Additional Information
SACRED Act
Print number: HR 8239
Sponsor: Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
Process start date: 2026-04-09
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-flash-latest
Source data: api.congress.gov
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Summary & Status

Key Questions about Protecting Places of Worship: New Harassment Bans and Penalties

A structured overview of the legislative process, official sources, status and civic context.

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is HR 8239.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2026-04-09.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Prohibits intimidating or blocking people within 100 feet of a place of worship.
  • Creates an 8-foot 'buffer zone' against harassment for people within 100 feet of the building.
  • Establishes criminal penalties, including fines and jail time for offenders.
  • Allows victims to sue for $5,000 in statutory damages per violation.
  • Covers the entire property, including parking lots, entrances, and driveways.
  • Provides for significantly harsher sentences if the conduct results in injury or death.

What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Introduced.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2026-04-15.

Analysis and Potential Impact of HR 8239

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge. Review our public AI processing logs for full transparency, and use Lustra to track active legislation for instant status push notifications.

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