SACRED Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8239 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8239 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. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 9, 2026 Mr. Suozzi (for himself and Mr. Miller of Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL 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. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Safeguarding Access to Congregations and Religious Establishments from Disruption Act'' or the ``SACRED Act''. SEC. 2. FREEDOM OF ACCESS TO PLACES OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP. (a) In General.--Chapter 13 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``Sec. 251. Freedom of access to places of religious worship ``(a) Prohibited Activities.--Whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce-- ``(1) engages in any course of conduct within 100 feet of a place of religious worship, with the intent to intimidate or obstruct the passage of any person exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right to religious freedom therein, and in a manner that causes any person to reasonably fear for their physical s