disturbing religious services; worship
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
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’.
Bill text
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Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
3 on record
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
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