S 5289: Right to Worship Act

S 5289 in plain English: The Right to Worship Act would establish federal protections for individuals to practice their religion without government interference. The bill creates civil penalties for violations and allows individuals, the U.S. Attorney General, and state attorneys general to bring legal action against those who infringe on religious worship rights.

Stated purpose

The bill aims to protect people's right to freely practice their religion by making it unlawful to disrupt or block access to religious services at houses of worship.

Key points

• Imposes civil fines of $2,500 for a first offense, $5,000 for a second, and $10,000 per occurrence for third or subsequent offenses
• Allows individuals to sue for statutory damages of $5,000 per violation in lieu of actual damages
• Authorizes the U.S. Attorney General to assess civil penalties of $5,000 per violation against defendants
• Permits state attorneys general to take legal action on behalf of residents whose religious worship rights are violated

Arguments supporters make

• People of all faiths deserve a guaranteed right to attend worship without being intimidated or blocked, and this bill gives that protection the force of federal law.
• The bill is carefully written to restrict only disruptive conduct, not speech itself, and it still allows permitted activities and peaceful expression near houses of worship.
• With attacks and disruptions at religious sites happening across the country, a clear federal standard with real penalties sends a strong message that targeting worshippers will not be tolerated.

Arguments opponents make

• The bill's broad definitions of 'disrupt' and 'impede' could be used to shut down peaceful protest or public demonstrations near religious buildings, chilling First Amendment activity.
• Federal law already protects houses of worship and individuals from threats and obstruction, so critics may see this as an unnecessary duplication that adds new legal risk for ordinary civic activity.
• The 100-foot buffer zone and one-hour window on either side of services could restrict lawful public activity in busy urban areas where houses of worship are close to sidewalks and public spaces.

Tradeoffs

The bill increases protection for worshippers and religious institutions but does so by creating new restrictions on activity in public spaces near houses of worship, raising a tension between the free exercise of religion and the free expression rights of those who might gather nearby.

Current status in Congress: In committee.

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