HB 4117
disturbing religious services; worship
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- Passed House
- Passed Senate
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- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill creates a new crime in Arizona related to disrupting religious services. It defines ‘interfering with a religious service or religious activity’ as intentionally obstructing access to a place of worship or creating a disruptive commotion. The law includes exceptions for peaceful protests and authorized personnel, and the severity of the offense depends on prior convictions, use of force, or coordinated actions with others.
Key provisions
- Defines ‘interfering with a religious service or religious activity’.
- Prohibits obstructing access to places of worship.
- Prohibits creating disruptive commotion during religious services.
- Excludes peaceful picketing and authorized personnel from the definition.
- Class 1 misdemeanor unless specific conditions are met (prior conviction, force used, or coordinated action).
Who is affected
- Individuals engaging in disruptive behavior at religious services.
- Religious organizations and places of worship.
- Law enforcement officers and first responders.
- Individuals participating in peaceful protests.
Notable changes
- Creates a specific criminal offense for disrupting religious services.
- Establishes definitions for key terms like ‘obstructing’ and ‘physical intimidation’.
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Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
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| Senate Engrossed House Bill disturbing religious services; worship (now: interfering with religious service) |
| State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2026 |
| CHAPTER 264 |
| HOUSE BILL 4117 |
AN ACT
AMENDING TITLE 13, CHAPTER 29, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES, BY ADDING SECTION 13-2925; RELATING TO OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 13, chapter 29, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 13-2925, to read:
START_STATUTE13-2925. Interfering with a religious service or religious activity; exception; classification; definitions
A. A person commits interfering with a religious service or religious activity if, without legal authority, the person intentionally interferes with a religious service or religious activity by intentionally doing either of the following:
1. Obstructing, blocking or impeding another person's ability to enter or exit a place of religious worship.
2. Making any protracted commotion, utterance or display in a place of religious worship that disrupts a religious service or religious activity.
B. This section does not apply to either of the following:
1. Peaceful picketing, protesting or other expressive activity.
2. A law enforcement officer, a first responder or any other authorized person who is acting within the scope of the person's official duties.
C. interfering with a religious service or religious activity is a class 1 misdemeanor except that it is a class 6 felony if any of the following applies:
1. The person has been previously convicted of a violation of this section.
2. The person used force, threats of force or physical intimidation in the commission of the offense.
3. The person, with two or more other persons acting together, commits a violation of subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section.
E. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Obstructing, blocking or impeding" means to render passage impassable or unreasonably difficult or hazardous.
2. "Physical intimidation" means to place a person in reasonable apprehension of physical injury to oneself or another person.
3. "Place of religious worship" means a privately owned building, structure or designated location where people assemble for a religious service or religious activity.END_STATUTE
APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR JUNE 22, 2026.
FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE JUNE 22, 2026.