Pennsylvania HB 2318: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in riot, disorderly conduct and related offenses, providing for the offense of interference with religious worship.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 3092
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2318
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY BENNINGHOFF, ARMANINI, BERNSTINE, M. BROWN,
COOPER, GILLEN, HAMM, KAUFFMAN, KOZAK, KRUPA, KUZMA,
M. MACKENZIE, MOUL, OWLETT, RADER, STAATS, STENDER AND WATRO,
MARCH 25, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 26, 2026
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in riot, disorderly conduct and
related offenses, providing for the offense of interference
with religious worship.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 5508.1. Interference with religious worship.
(a) Offense.--A person commits the offense of interfering
with religious worship if, with the intent to prevent, disrupt
or materially interfere with a permitted religious worship
service or access to a religious place of worship, the person:
(1) Knowingly enters or remains inside of a place of
religious worship after being lawfully notified to leave and
by remaining materially interrupts or disrupts lawful
religious activities.
(2) By force, threat or physical obstruction:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

(i) Injures, intimidates or physically interferes
with a person lawfully exercising religious worship.
(ii) Blocks or impedes ingress or egress from a
place of religious worship.
(b) Grading.--Violations of this section shall be graded as
follows:
(1) A violation of subsection (a)(1) shall be graded as
a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(2) A violation of subsection (a)(2) shall be graded as
a misdemeanor of the second degree.
(c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Physical obstruction." Conduct that significantly impedes
entrance or exit, including chaining, standing in a group,
barricading or using vehicles or equipment.
"Place of religious worship." A building or immediately
adjacent grounds regularly used for religious worship.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20260HB2318PN3092 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19