Bipartisan Bill Proposes Federal Buffer Zones Around Houses of Worship
A new bipartisan proposal, the Right to Worship Act, would create 100-foot buffer zones around places of worship during services to curb disruptions and intimidation.
In response to a series of high-profile disruptions at religious venues, a bipartisan group of legislators introduced the Right to Worship Act in early August. The bill would ban any activity that interferes with worship services within a 100-foot perimeter, shifting deterrence from post-incident prosecution to pre-emptive restriction. Proponents note that the current Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act is seldom used and hinges on ambiguous definitions of intimidation and interference, making convictions rare.
The new legislation also criminalizes conspiracies to organize illegal protests, allowing authorities to pursue the organizers and financiers of coordinated harassment campaigns. While opponents warn the buffer zones could suppress legitimate expression, supporters argue they fit within established time, place, and manner limits that balance free speech with the free exercise of religion. The bill targets groups they describe as having ties to foreign funding and extremist sympathies, seeking to protect religious communities from intimidation and violence.
Why it matters
It could reshape how the federal government protects religious gatherings from harassment and intimidation.
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