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*sb0177*
SENATE BILL 177
E1 6lr1276
SB 287/25 – JPR (PRE–FILED) CF HB 750
By: Senator West
Requested: October 21, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 21, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Law – Interference With Access to or Egress From a Religious Facility 2
Obstruction or Interference With Exercise of Religious Beliefs – Prohibition 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person, acting alone or with others, from preventing 4
another from entering or exiting a religious facility; and generally relating to access 5
to or egress from religious facilities person from using force, threat of force, or 6
physical obstruction to interfere with or physically injure another while the other is 7
lawfully exercising or attempting to lawfully exercise religious beliefs at a place of 8
religious worship; and generally relating to obstruction or interference with the 9
exercise of religious beliefs. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – Criminal Law 12
Section 10–204 and 10–302 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15
BY adding to 16
Article – Criminal Law 17
Section 10–204.1 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20
2 SENATE BILL 177
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Criminal Law 3
10–204. 4
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 5
(2) (i) “Medical facility” means: 6
1. a facility as defined in § 10 –101 of the Health – General 7
Article; or 8
2. a health care facility as defined in § 19 –114 of the Health 9
– General Article. 10
(ii) “Medical facility” includes an agency, clinic, or office operated 11
under the direction of the local health officer or under the regulatory authority of the 12
Maryland Department of Health. 13
(b) (1) This section does not apply to: 14
(i) the chief executive officer of the medical facility; 15
(ii) a designee of the chief executive officer of the medical facility; 16
(iii) an agent of the medical facility; or 17
(iv) a law enforcement officer. 18
(2) This section does not prohibit: 19
(i) speech; or 20
(ii) picketing in connection with a labor dispute as defined in § 21
4–301 of the Labor and Employment Article. 22
(c) A person may not intentionally act, alone or with oth ers, to prevent another 23
from entering or exiting a medical facility by physically: 24
(1) detaining the other; or 25
(2) obstructing, impeding, or hindering the other’s passage. 26
(d) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction 27
is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both. 28
SENATE BILL 177 3
10–204.1. 1
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION, “RELIGIOUS FACILITY” MEANS REAL PROPERTY 2
THAT IS OWNED, LEASED, OR USED BY A RELIGIOUS ENTITY OR FOR ANY RELIGIOUS 3
PURPOSE. 4
(2) “RELIGIOUS FACILITY” INCLUDES: 5
(I) A PLACE OF WORSHIP; 6
(II) A CEMETERY; 7
(III) A RELIGIOUS SCHOOL , EDUCATIONAL FACILITY , OR 8
COMMUNITY CENTER; AND 9
(IV) THE GROUNDS ADJACENT TO THEM. 10
(B) (1) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO: 11
(I) THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE RELIG IOUS 12
FACILITY; 13
(II) A DESIGNEE OF THE CH IEF EXECUTIVE OFFICE R OF THE 14
RELIGIOUS FACILITY; 15
(III) AN AGENT OF THE RELIGIOUS FACILITY; OR 16
(IV) A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. 17
(2) THIS SECTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT SPEECH. 18
(C) A PERSON MAY NOT INTENTIONALLY ACT, ALONE OR WITH OTHERS, TO 19
PREVENT ANOTHER FROM ENTERING OR EXITING A RELIGIOUS FACILITY BY 20
PHYSICALLY: 21
(1) DETAINING THE OTHER; OR 22
(2) OBSTRUCTING, IMPEDING, OR HINDERING THE OTHER’S PASSAGE. 23
(D) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR 24
AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 90 DAYS OR A 25
FINE NOT EXCEEDING $1,000 OR BOTH. 26
4 SENATE BILL 177
10–302. 1
A person may not deface, damage, or destroy, or attempt or threaten to d eface, 2
damage, or destroy, personal or real property that is owned, leased, or used by a religious 3
entity or for any religious purpose including: 4
(1) a place of worship; 5
(2) a cemetery; 6
(3) a religious school, educational facility, or community center; and 7
(4) the grounds adjacent to them. 8
10–204.1. 9
(A) A PERSON MAY NOT USE F ORCE, THREAT OF FORCE , OR PHYSICAL 10
OBSTRUCTION TO INTERFERE WITH OR PHYSICA LLY INJURE ANOTHER W HILE THE 11
OTHER IS LAWFULLY EX ERCISING OR ATTEMPTI NG TO LAWFULLY EXERC ISE THE 12
RIGHT OF RELIGIOUS F REEDOM UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE U.S. 13
CONSTITUTION AT A PLACE OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP. 14
(B) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR 15
AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 90 DAYS OR A 16
FINE NOT EXCEEDING $1,000 OR BOTH. 17
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 18
October 1, 2026. 19
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.