HB363 • 2026

Crimes; crime of disruption of a worship service, established; criminal penalty, provided

Crime

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Barnes
Last action: 2026-03-03
Official status: Read Second Time in Second House
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source confirms the effective date is October 1, 2026, but does not specify if this applies to all states or only Alabama (though context implies Alabama).

HB363: New Crime for Disrupting Worship Services

This bill creates a new Class C felony crime for individuals who knowingly enter religious buildings or property during a scheduled worship service with the intent to disrupt it.

What This Bill Does

Establishes the crime of disruption of a worship service.
Defines 'church building' as any church, mosque, synagogue, or other religious real property.
Makes it illegal to enter these places during a scheduled service with the intent to disrupt by rioting, acting disorderly, harassing participants, or blocking entrances and exits.
Sets the penalty for breaking this law at a Class C felony.

Who It Names or Affects

Individuals who knowingly enter religious buildings or property during scheduled services with the intent to disrupt them through specific actions like rioting or harassment.
Participants in worship services held in churches, mosques, synagogues, and other religious sites.

Terms To Know

Church Building: Any church building, mosque, synagogue, or other religious real property.
Church Property: The area next to a church building used for entering or leaving the building or any other religious purpose.
Worship Service: A gathering of individuals for religious worship.

Limits and Unknowns

The law only applies to services that have a scheduled starting time.
This act becomes effective on October 1, 2026.
The text defines the crime as a Class C felony but does not list specific prison sentences or fines associated with that classification.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

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Judiciary

Judiciary 1st Amendment

Plain English: This amendment changes the punishment for disrupting a worship service to make it a serious crime called a Class C felony.

It sets the penalty for breaking this law as a Class C felony.

The text only shows the new penalty and does not explain what actions count as disrupting a worship service or how long someone might go to jail.
Because the full definition of the crime is missing from this amendment, we cannot describe exactly which behaviors are now illegal.

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Judiciary

Public Safety and Homeland Security 1st Substitute

Plain English: This amendment creates a new crime called 'disruption of a worship service' for people who enter religious property with the intent to cause trouble during a scheduled event.

It defines specific terms like church building, which includes mosques and synagogues, and church property as areas used for entering or leaving these buildings.
A person commits this crime if they knowingly enter a church building or its property with the intent to disrupt a scheduled worship service while committing rioting, disorderly conduct, harassment, or blocking entry and exit.
The first time someone breaks this law, it is punished as a Class C felony.
If someone violates this law for a second time or more often, they face a Class C felony charge plus a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years.

The text does not specify the maximum length of imprisonment allowed under Alabama state law for a Class C felony.
This new law will only take effect on October 1, 2026.

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R 527

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment creates a new Class C felony crime for anyone who knowingly enters a religious building or its surrounding property during a scheduled service with the intent to disrupt it by rioting, acting disorderly, harassing people, or blocking entry and exit.

It defines 'church building' to include mosques, synagogues, and other religious properties, plus the areas used for entering or leaving them.
It makes it a crime if someone enters these places during a scheduled service intending to disrupt worship by rioting, being disorderly, harassing participants, or blocking doors.
Anyone found guilty of this new offense will be charged with a Class C felony.

The text does not specify what exact actions count as 'disorderly conduct' or 'harassment,' so those terms depend on other existing laws.
This law only applies to services that have a scheduled starting time, leaving unscheduled gatherings unclear.

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County and Municipal Government

County and Municipal Government 1st Substitute

Plain English: This amendment creates a new crime for using force, threats, or blockades to stop people from worshipping and allows victims to sue for money.

It makes it illegal to use violence, threaten harm, or physically block entrances to hurt, scare, or stop someone from attending religious services.
It bans disorderly conduct, harassment, riots, and the intentional destruction of property at places like churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples.
Anyone who breaks these rules will be charged with a Class C felony crime.
Victims can file a lawsuit to get court orders stopping the behavior and receive money for damages or $10,000 per violation.

The text does not specify how much jail time a person would serve if convicted of this Class C felony.
It is unclear exactly what actions count as 'physical obstruction' beyond blocking entry or making passage dangerous, which may require court decisions to define.

Bill History

2026-03-03 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-03-03 Senate
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-03-03 Senate
County and Municipal Government 1st Substitute
2026-02-25 Senate
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-02-25 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on County and Municipal Government
2026-02-24 House
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 529 (Yeas 75, Nays 27)
2026-02-24 House
Lee motion to Previous Question adopted - Adopted Roll Call 528 (Yeas 75, Nays 28)
2026-02-24 House
Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 527 (Yeas 75, Nays 21)
2026-02-24 House
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 75, Nays 25)
2026-02-24 House
Engrossed
2026-02-24 House
Judiciary Engrossed Substitute Offered
2026-02-19 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-18 House
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-02-18 House
Judiciary 1st Amendment
2026-02-18 House
Public Safety and Homeland Security 1st Substitute
2026-02-05 House
Re-referred to Committee in House of Origin
2026-02-05 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-04 House
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-02-04 House
Public Safety and Homeland Security 1st Substitute
2026-01-29 House
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-29 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Official Summary Text

Crimes; crime of disruption of a worship service, established; criminal penalty, provided

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB363 ENGROSSED
Page 0
HB363
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By Representatives Barnes, Kiel, Wilcox, Moore (P), Myrex,
Harrison, Rehm, Marques, Brown, Smith, Crow, Brinyark,
Kirkland, Treadaway, Bedsole, Butler, Crawford, Rigsby,
Colvin, Shaver, Allbright, Lipscomb, Hurst, Hulsey, Shaw,
Baker, Simpson, Shirey, Lamb, Gidley, Givens, Fidler, Ross,
Clouse, Lee, Paramore, Yarbrough, Carns, Robbins, Standridge,
Bolton, Fincher, Starnes, Mooney, Paschal, Hammett, Lomax,
Oliver, Stringer, Pettus, Faulkner, Underwood, DuBose,
Pringle, Whitt
RFD: Public Safety and Homeland Security
First Read: 29-Jan-26
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HB363 Engrossed
Page 1
First Read: 29-Jan-26
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to crimes; to establish the crime of
disruption of a worship service; and to provide criminal
penalties for a violation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) As used in this section, the following
terms have the following meanings:
(1) CHURCH BUILDING. Any church building, mosque,
synagogue, or other religious real property.
(2) CHURCH PROPERTY. The area contiguous to a church
building which is used for ingress or egress to the church
building or any other religious purpose.
(3) DISORDERLY CONDUCT. The crime of disorderly conduct
pursuant to Section 13A-11-7, Code of Alabama 1975.
(4) HARASSMENT. The crime of harassment pursuant to
Section 13A-11-8(a), Code of Alabama 1975.
(5) RIOT. The crime of riot pursuant to Section
13A-11-3, Code of Alabama 1975.
(6) WORSHIP SERVICE. The assemblage of individuals for
religious worship.
(b) An individual commits the crime of disruption of a
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HB363 Engrossed
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(b) An individual commits the crime of disruption of a
worship service if, during a worship service that has a
scheduled starting time, the individual knowingly enters a
church building or church property with the intent to disrupt
the worship service and does any of the following:
(1) Engages in a riot.
(2) Engages in disorderly conduct.
(3) Engages in harassment of any individual participant
of the worship service.
(4) Obstructs the ingress or egress to the church
building or church property.
(c) An individual who violates this section shall be
guilty of a Class C felony.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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HB363 Engrossed
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1, 2026.
House of Representatives
Read for the first time and referred
to the House of Representatives
committee on Public Safety and
Homeland Security
................29-Jan-26
Read for the second time and placed
on the calendar:
1 amendment
................05-Feb-26
Read for the third time and passed
as amended
Yeas 75
Nays 27
Abstains 2
................24-Feb-26
John Treadwell
Clerk
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