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HB363 • 2026

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

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 material does not provide detailed information on enforcement mechanisms or exceptions.

Disruption of Worship Services

This law establishes the crime of disrupting a worship service and sets penalties for engaging in certain behaviors during religious services.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines specific terms related to worship services, church buildings, disorderly conduct, harassment, riot, and church property.
  • Makes it illegal to enter a church building or property with intent to disrupt a scheduled worship service by engaging in riots, disorderly conduct, harassment of participants, or obstructing entrances or exits.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who attend or participate in religious services
  • Individuals who might disrupt worship services

Terms To Know

Church Building
Any church building, mosque, synagogue, or other religious real property.
Disorderly Conduct
The crime of disorderly conduct pursuant to Section 13A-11-7, Code of Alabama 1975.
Harassment
The crime of harassment pursuant to Section 13A-11-8(a), Code of Alabama 1975.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify how it will be enforced or what actions police can take.
  • It is unclear if there are any exceptions for peaceful protests or demonstrations outside of worship services.

Amendments

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

EJ8VJ22-1

Judiciary

Judiciary 1st Amendment

Plain English: EJ8VJ22-1 : 2/12/2026 : CMH 1ST JUDICIARY AMENDMENT TO HB363 OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE FAULKNER Page 1 Replace lines 54 through 60 on pages 2 through 3 with the following: (c) An individual who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class C felony.

  • EJ8VJ22-1 : 2/12/2026 : CMH 1ST JUDICIARY AMENDMENT TO HB363 OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE FAULKNER Page 1 Replace lines 54 through 60 on pages 2 through 3 with the following: (c) An individual who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class C felony.
  • 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
L5NI1YA-1

Judiciary

Public Safety and Homeland Security 1st Substitute

Plain English: L5NI1YA-1 02/03/2026 CMH (L)CMH 2026-364 SUB HB363 PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY SUBSTITUTE TO HB363 OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE BARNES Page 1 SYNOPSIS: Under existing law, the crimes of riot, harassment, and disorderly conduct are established and a violation is punishable by law.

  • L5NI1YA-1 02/03/2026 CMH (L)CMH 2026-364 SUB HB363 PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY SUBSTITUTE TO HB363 OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE BARNES Page 1 SYNOPSIS: Under existing law, the crimes of riot, harassment, and disorderly conduct are established and a violation is punishable by law.
  • This bill would establish the crime of disruption of a worship service and provide that the crime is committed if, during a worship service that has a scheduled starting time, an individual: (i) enters upon the premises of a church building or church property with the intent to disrupt the worship service; and (ii) engages in a riot, disorderly conduct, the harassment of a worship participant, or the obstruction of the ingress or egress to the church building or church property.
  • 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.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
DG8GBHN-1

R 527

Adopted

Plain English: DG8GBHN-1 02/18/2026 CMH (H) HSE 2026-364 House Judiciary Reported Substitute for HB363 Page 1 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.

  • DG8GBHN-1 02/18/2026 CMH (H) HSE 2026-364 House Judiciary Reported Substitute for HB363 Page 1 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.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
L5NQ9AY-1

County and Municipal Government

County and Municipal Government 1st Substitute

Plain English: L5NQ9AY-1 03/03/2026 CMH (L)CMH 2026-647 SUB HB363 COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT SUBSTITUTE TO HB363 OFFERED BY SENATOR ELLIOTT Page 1 SYNOPSIS: This bill would prohibit the use of force, threat of force, or physical obstruction to intentionally injure, intimidate, or interfere with any other person's right to exercise religious activity at a place of religious worship.

  • L5NQ9AY-1 03/03/2026 CMH (L)CMH 2026-647 SUB HB363 COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT SUBSTITUTE TO HB363 OFFERED BY SENATOR ELLIOTT Page 1 SYNOPSIS: This bill would prohibit the use of force, threat of force, or physical obstruction to intentionally injure, intimidate, or interfere with any other person's right to exercise religious activity at a place of religious worship.
  • This bill would prohibit any person from engaging in activity constituting disorderly conduct, harassment, or riot at a place of religious worship.
  • This bill would prohibit the intentional damage or destruction of the property or place of religious worship.
  • This bill would provide criminal penalties for a violation.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  2. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  3. 2026-03-03 Senate

    County and Municipal Government 1st Substitute

  4. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  5. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on County and Municipal Government

  6. 2026-02-24 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 529 (Yeas 75, Nays 27)

  7. 2026-02-24 House

    Lee motion to Previous Question adopted - Adopted Roll Call 528 (Yeas 75, Nays 28)

  8. 2026-02-24 House

    Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 527 (Yeas 75, Nays 21)

  9. 2026-02-24 House

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 75, Nays 25)

  10. 2026-02-24 House

    Engrossed

  11. 2026-02-24 House

    Judiciary Engrossed Substitute Offered

  12. 2026-02-19 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  13. 2026-02-18 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  14. 2026-02-18 House

    Judiciary 1st Amendment

  15. 2026-02-18 House

    Public Safety and Homeland Security 1st Substitute

  16. 2026-02-05 House

    Re-referred to Committee in House of Origin

  17. 2026-02-05 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  18. 2026-02-04 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  19. 2026-02-04 House

    Public Safety and Homeland Security 1st Substitute

  20. 2026-01-29 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  21. 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
DG8GBHN-2
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
Page 3
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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