Right to Worship Act
Sponsored By: Representative Knott, Brad [R-NC-13]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would create a federal civil regime that protects the free exercise of religion near houses of worship. It would prohibit knowingly disruptive or obstructive conduct around entryways during scheduled services and create civil penalties and private and government enforcement tools.
Show full summary
- Worshippers and families would be protected from a "course of conduct" that knowingly disrupts participation within 100 feet of an entryway and during the window beginning 1 hour before and ending 1 hour after a scheduled service.
- Houses of worship would not be required to publish service schedules and the law says disruption is judged by manner like volume, duration, pervasiveness, and frequency rather than by the content of speech.
- Protesters and organizers who conspire or engage in conduct that substantially affects interstate commerce could face civil liability under the bill.
- Penalties and private remedies include civil fines of $2,500 for a first offense, $5,000 for a second, and $10,000 for third or later offenses per occurrence. Aggrieved persons could seek injunctive relief, damages including punitive awards, costs and fees, or elect statutory damages of $5,000 per violation before final judgment.
- Federal and state enforcement options let the Attorney General bring civil suits and let state attorneys general sue in federal court on the State's behalf. Courts may assess a $5,000 civil penalty per violation when there are no actual damages.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Penalties and lawsuits for worship disruptions
If enacted, the bill would let the Attorney General assess civil fines of $2,500 for a first offense, $5,000 for a second, and $10,000 for each third or later occurrence. Individuals harmed could sue in federal court for injunctions, actual and punitive damages, and attorneys' and experts' fees, or elect statutory damages of $5,000 per violation before final judgment. The Attorney General could also bring civil suits and, if no actual damages are shown, a court could assess a $5,000 civil penalty per violation. A State attorney general could sue in federal court in the State's name on behalf of residents to get the same relief.
Ban on disruptions at worship services
If enacted, the bill would make it unlawful to knowingly disrupt or knowingly impede participation in a scheduled religious service within 100 feet of any entryway. The time window runs from 1 hour before a scheduled service begins until 1 hour after it ends. The bill defines "scheduled religious service" and "house of worship," and says courts must judge disruption by how the conduct is done (volume, duration, frequency, impact), not by the content of speech. It would not stop speech that follows the statute's time, place, and manner rules or activities allowed by government permits, and houses of worship would not be required to publish schedules publicly.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Knott, Brad [R-NC-13]
NC • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
NY • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
NY • R
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
NJ • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
PA • R
Sponsored 8/24/2026
Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24]
NY • R
Sponsored 8/27/2026
Rep. Baird, James R. [R-IN-4]
IN • R
Sponsored 8/27/2026
Rep. Gooden, Lance [R-TX-5]
TX • R
Sponsored 8/27/2026
Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25]
FL • D
Sponsored 8/31/2026
Rep. Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4]
NY • D
Sponsored 9/1/2026
Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3]
WI • R
Sponsored 9/2/2026
Rep. Harrigan, Pat [R-NC-10]
NC • R
Sponsored 9/2/2026
Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6]
KY • R
Sponsored 9/2/2026
Rep. Maloy, Celeste [R-UT-2]
UT • R
Sponsored 9/3/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov