Federal RuleAug 21
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DOL Rewrites Disability Rules for 'Merit-Based Opportunity' Push
RuleLabor DepartmentFederal Contract Compliance Programs OfficeSignificant Wallet
119-hr-8239119th Congress
SACRED Act
Sponsored By: Representative Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
Introduced
Summary
Protects access to places of religious worship by making targeted harassment and intimidation near houses of worship a federal offense and by creating civil remedies for victims. It would set precise proximity limits and staged penalties to deter disruption.
Show full summary
- People attending worship: would be protected from conduct intended to intimidate or block passage within 100 feet of a place of worship and from targeted harassment within 8 feet.
- Religious organizations and attendees who are harmed: could bring civil suits for injunctive relief, compensatory and punitive damages, and recover attorney and expert fees. Plaintiffs could instead elect statutory damages of $5,000 per violation.
- Federal and state prosecutors: would be able to bring criminal charges and civil actions. Criminal penalties would include up to 1 year for a first offense and up to 3 years for repeat offenses.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
New civil remedies for worshippers
If enacted, people lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise religion at a place of worship, and the owner or operator of that place, would be able to sue in federal court for covered conduct. Plaintiffs could get temporary, preliminary, or permanent injunctions, compensatory and punitive damages, court costs, and reasonable attorney and expert fees. Instead of actual compensatory damages, a plaintiff could elect statutory damages of $5,000 per violation, but only if they choose that before final judgment. The U.S. Attorney General or a State Attorney General could also sue and seek injunctive relief, compensatory damages, and civil penalties up to $10,000–$25,000 per violation depending on whether the offense is nonviolent and whether it is a repeat offense.
New federal criminal rules near worship
If enacted, the bill would make it a federal crime, when in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, to engage in a course of conduct within 100 feet of a place of worship that intends to intimidate or obstruct passage and causes people to reasonably fear for their safety while entering or exiting. It would also ban intentionally approaching and harassing a person by coming within 8 feet of them while within 100 feet of a worship site. Penalties would include fines under Title 18 and jail: a first offense up to 1 year (or for exclusively nonviolent conduct a fine up to $10,000 and up to 6 months in jail); later offenses up to 3 years (or for later nonviolent offenses a fine up to $25,000 and up to 18 months in jail). If bodily injury results, imprisonment could be up to 10 years, and if death results, any term of years or life.
First Amendment and local rules preserved
If enacted, the bill would say it does not prohibit peaceful expressive conduct outside places of worship that the First Amendment protects. It would also say the section does not replace or preempt State or local laws that provide penalties or remedies for the same conduct.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
NY • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
NH • D
Sponsored 10/13/2026
Rep. Liccardo, Sam T. [D-CA-16]
CA • D
Sponsored 11/2/2026
Rep. Miller, Max L. [R-OH-7]
OH • R
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
NJ • D
Sponsored 5/19/2026
Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
FL • R
Sponsored 5/19/2026
Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10]
IL • D
Sponsored 5/26/2026
Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14]
TX • R
Sponsored 5/26/2026
Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3]
OH • D
Sponsored 5/29/2026
Rep. Kustoff, David [R-TN-8]
TN • R
Sponsored 5/29/2026
Rep. Langworthy, Nicholas A. [R-NY-23]
NY • R
Sponsored 6/2/2026
Rep. Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4]
NY • D
Sponsored 6/2/2026
Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6]
AZ • R
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19]
CA • D
Sponsored 6/8/2026
Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2]
VA • R
Sponsored 6/29/2026
Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]
NY • D
Sponsored 6/29/2026
Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9]
PA • R
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
VA • D
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
PA • R
Sponsored 9/3/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov