--- title: HB 242. Crimes and offenses; disorderly or disruptive conduct at any funeral or memorial service; include religious worship and observance collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb242 cite_as: HB 242, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb242 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb242.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb242/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69847 date: 2025-04-04 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb241.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb243.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 249 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb242.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 242 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-02-04 last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted sponsors: - Deborah Silcox - Tyler Smith - Matt Reeves - Joe Campbell - Esther Panitch text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB242/2025 upstream_id: 1955644 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - religious worship protections - funeral disruption law - criminal law - disorderly conduct --- # HB 242. Crimes and offenses; disorderly or disruptive conduct at any funeral or memorial service; include religious worship and observance ## Text 25 LC 48 1501S The House Committee on Judiciary, Non-Civil offers the following substitute to HB 242: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Code Section 16-11-34.2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 disorderly or disruptive conduct at any funeral or memorial service, so as to include religious2 worship and observance; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for3 other purposes.4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5 SECTION 1.6 Code Section 16-11-34.2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to disorderly7 or disruptive conduct at any funeral or memorial service, is amended by revising subsection8 (a) and the introductory language of subsection (b) as follows:9 "(a) The General Assembly declares that the interest of persons in planning, participating10 in, and attending a religious worship or observance, or a funeral or memorial service for11 a deceased relative or loved one, without unwanted impediment, disruption, disturbance,12 or interference is a substantial interest and the General Assem bly further recognizes the13 need to impose content neutral time, place, and manner restrict ions on unwanted acts14 carried out with the intent to impede, disrupt, disturb, or int erfere with such funeral15 worship, observance, funeral, or memorial service.16 H. B. 242 (SUB) - 1 - 25 LC 48 1501S (b) It shall be unlawful to engage in any disorderly or disruptive conduct with the intent17 to impede, disrupt, disturb, or interfere with the orderly conduct of any religious worship18 or observance, or a funeral or memorial service, or with the normal activities and functions19 carried on in the facilities or buildings where such funeral worship, observance, funeral,20 or memorial service is taking place. Any or all of the followi ng shall constitute such21 disorderly or disruptive conduct:"22 SECTION 2.23 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.24 H. B. 242 (SUB) - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. A House committee substitute for HB 242 would expand Georgia's law against disrupting funerals and memorial services so it also covers religious worship and observance ceremonies. ### Plain-language summary Georgia currently has a law, O.C.G.A. § 16-11-34.2, that makes it illegal to disrupt a funeral or memorial service on purpose. This bill rewrites that law so the same protections also apply to religious worship and observance, meaning church services, prayer gatherings, and similar religious events. The bill revises subsection (a), which explains why the General Assembly is passing the law, to say that people have a substantial interest in attending religious worship or observance, or a funeral or memorial service, without unwanted interference. It also revises the opening language of subsection (b), which lists the actual behavior that is banned, so that intentionally disrupting religious worship or observance is treated the same as disrupting a funeral or memorial service. The bill repeals any conflicting laws and does not list a delayed effective date beyond the standard process. ### What it does - Expands an existing Georgia crime, disrupting a funeral or memorial service (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-34.2), to also cover religious worship and observance. - Rewrites the law's stated purpose in subsection (a) to declare that attending religious worship or observance without interference is a substantial interest. - Revises the opening language of subsection (b), the section listing banned disruptive conduct, to add religious worship and observance alongside funerals and memorials. - Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this change. ### Who it affects The change affects anyone who attends, leads, or organizes religious worship services, as well as people attending funerals or memorial services. It also affects anyone whose conduct could be charged as disorderly or disruptive under this law, including protesters or demonstrators near these events. ### Why it matters If enacted, someone who intentionally disrupts a church service, prayer gathering, or other religious observance could face the same criminal penalties that currently apply only to disrupting funerals and memorial services in Georgia, extending legal protection to a broader set of gatherings. ### Key provisions - Section 1 revises subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 16-11-34.2 to add religious worship and observance to the interests the law is meant to protect. - Section 1 also revises the introductory language of subsection (b) so that intentionally disrupting religious worship or observance becomes illegal alongside disrupting funerals or memorials. - Section 2 repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this amendment. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-02-04) - Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: Deborah Silcox, Tyler Smith, Matt Reeves, Joe Campbell, Esther Panitch - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69847 > The history, votes, and amendments (249 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb242.md?full=1