Criminal Law - Obstruction or Interference With Exercise of Religious Beliefs - Prohibition
HB750 creates a new criminal offense aimed at protecting access to religious exercise and religious facilities. As drafted, it prohibits a person, acting alone or with others, from using force, threats of force, or physical obstruction to interfere with or physically injure another person who is lawfully exercising or attempting to exercise religious beliefs at a place of religious worship. The bill also defines “religious facility” broadly to include places of worship, cemeteries, religious schools, educational facilities, community centers, and adjacent grounds.
The bill also appears to reorganize and expand existing criminal law provisions related to interference with access to facilities. It retains and restates the existing prohibition on blocking entry to or exit from medical facilities, and it adds a separate section specifically addressing religious facilities. Violations are misdemeanors punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. The measure takes effect October 1, 2026.
HB750 would amend the Criminal Law Article by adding a new section, § 10-204.1, and by reenacting existing provisions without change. Its practical effect is to create a specific state-law offense for obstruction or interference with religious exercise at places of worship and related religious properties, while preserving existing protections for medical facilities. The bill would give religious entities and their agents, along with law enforcement and certain authorized protectors, explicit exceptions, and it states that religious facilities have sole discretion over who may be on their premises according to the internal dictates of the religious organization.
The voting record indicates strong, unanimous support in both chambers, with the House passing the bill 127-0 and the Senate passing it 45-0. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, but the final votes suggest broad bipartisan agreement and little visible opposition in the recorded legislative process.
The main policy issue reflected in the text is the balance between protecting religious worship and preserving speech and lawful protest rights. The bill expressly says it does not prohibit speech, but it does criminalize physical obstruction, detention, and force-based interference. Another point of possible contention is the breadth of the definition of “religious facility,” which extends beyond houses of worship to cemeteries, schools, educational facilities, community centers, and adjacent grounds, and the provision giving religious facilities sole discretion over who may be on the premises. Despite these potential concerns, the available voting history shows no recorded dissent.