---
title: SB 591. Offenses Against Public Order; the disruption of a religious service; prohibit
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb591
cite_as: SB 591, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb591
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb591.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb591/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73654
date: 2026-05-12
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 1037
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb591.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 591
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-12
last_action: Effective Date 2026-07-01
sponsors:
- Steve Gooch
- Jason Anavitarte
- Larry Walker
- Carden Summers
- Drew Echols
- Bo Hatchett
- Randy Robertson
- John Albers
- Russ Goodman
- Frank Ginn
- Timothy Bearden
- Clint Dixon
- Shawn Still
- Lee Anderson
- Ricky Williams
- Bill Cowsert
- Deborah Silcox
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB591/2025
upstream_id: 2124843
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- religious freedom
- public order laws
- funeral disruption
- criminal penalties
- military funerals
---
# SB 591. Offenses Against Public Order; the disruption of a religious service; prohibit
## Text
Senate Bill 591
By: Senators Gooch of the 51st, Anavitarte of the 31st, Walker III of the 20th, Summers of
the 13th, Echols of the 49th and others
AS PASSED
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 2 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to offenses against public order, so as to prohibit the disruption of a religious service;
to provide for enhanced penalties; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws;
and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 2 of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
offenses against public order, is amended by revising Code Section 16-11-34.2, relating to
disorderly or disruptive conduct at any funeral or memorial service, as follows:
"16-11-34.2.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'religious service' means any public assembly
of persons for worship, religious observance, or other religious purpose.
(a)(b) The General Assembly declares that the interest of persons in planning, participating
in, and attending a religious service, or a funeral or memorial service for a deceased
relative or loved one, without unwanted impediment, disruption, disturbance, or
interference is a substantial interest and the General Assembly further recognizes the need
to impose content neutral time, place, and manner restrictions on unwanted acts carried out
with the intent to impede, disrupt, disturb, or interfere with such religious service, funeral,
or memorial service.
(b)(c) It shall be unlawful to engage in any disorderly or disruptive conduct with the intent
to impede, disrupt, disturb, or interfere with the orderly conduct of any religious service,
funeral, or memorial service, or with the normal activities and functions carried on in the
facilities, or buildings, or other locations, both inside and outside, where such religious
service, funeral, or memorial service is taking place. Any or all of the following shall
constitute such disorderly or disruptive conduct:
(1) Displaying any visual images that convey fighting words or actual or imminent
threats of harm directed to any person or property associated with said a religious service,
funeral, or memorial service, within 500 feet of the ceremonial site or location facilities,
buildings, or other locations being used for the religious service, funeral, or memorial
service at any time one hour prior to, during, or one hour after the posted time for said
such religious service, funeral, or memorial service;
(2) Uttering loud, threatening, or abusive language or singing, chanting, whistling, or
yelling with or without noise amplification, including, but not limited to, bullhorns,
automobile horns, and microphones, such as would tend to impede, disrupt, disturb, or
interfere with a religious service, funeral, or memorial service, within 500 feet of the
ceremonial site or location facilities, buildings, or other locations being used for the such
religious service, funeral, or memorial service;
(3) Attempting to block or blocking pedestrian or vehicular access to the ceremonial site
or location facilities, buildings, or other locations being used for a religious service,
funeral, or memorial service at any time one hour prior to, during, or one hour after the
posted time for said such religious service, funeral, or memorial service; or
(4) Conducting a public assembly, parade, demonstration, or other like event, either fixed
or processional, within 500 feet of the ceremonial site or location facilities, buildings, or
other locations being used for a religious service, funeral, or memorial service at any time
one hour prior to, during, or one hour after the posted time for said such religious service,
funeral, or memorial service.
(c)(d) Any person who violates any provision of subsection (b) (c) of this Code section
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor; provided, however, that if such person engages in
disorderly or disruptive conduct at a funeral or memorial service of an individual receiving
military funeral honors, such person shall be guilty of an aggravated misdemeanor."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## 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 Georgia Senate bill would extend the state's existing funeral-disruption law to cover religious services as well, making it a crime to disrupt worship gatherings and raising the penalty when the disruption happens at a military funeral.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law already makes it a misdemeanor to disrupt a funeral or memorial service through threats, loud noise, blocking access, or protests near the site. This bill expands that law (O.C.G.A. ยง 16-11-34.2) to also cover religious services, defined as any public gathering for worship, religious observance, or another religious purpose.
The bill keeps the same four categories of banned conduct, such as displaying threatening images, yelling or using amplified noise, blocking pedestrian or vehicle access, or holding a protest or demonstration within 500 feet of the location, but now applies them to religious services in addition to funerals and memorials. These restrictions apply from one hour before to one hour after the event. Violations remain a misdemeanor, except the bill adds that disrupting a funeral or memorial service for someone receiving military funeral honors becomes an aggravated misdemeanor, a more serious charge with harsher penalties.
### What it does
- Adds religious services to Georgia's existing funeral-disruption law, defining a religious service as any public gathering for worship or religious purpose.
- Applies the same disorderly-conduct restrictions, threats, loud noise, blocking access, and nearby protests, to religious services as already applied to funerals and memorial services.
- Extends the 500-foot buffer zone and one-hour-before-to-one-hour-after time window to cover religious services.
- Creates a new, harsher penalty: disrupting a funeral or memorial service for someone receiving military funeral honors becomes an aggravated misdemeanor instead of a regular misdemeanor.
- Applies the restrictions to facilities, buildings, or other locations both inside and outside where the service takes place, not just a fixed ceremonial site.
### Who it affects
People who attend, plan, or hold religious services, funerals, or memorial services; protesters or demonstrators near such events; families of military service members receiving funeral honors; and law enforcement and prosecutors who would enforce the expanded law.
### Why it matters
Protesters, demonstrators, or disruptive individuals near a church service, funeral, or memorial could now face criminal charges under a broader set of rules than before, since the law's protections extend beyond funerals to worship gatherings generally. Disrupting a military funeral now carries a more serious criminal charge.
### Key provisions
- New subsection (a) defines 'religious service' as any public assembly of persons for worship, religious observance, or other religious purpose.
- Subsection (b) states the General Assembly's interest in protecting religious services, along with funerals and memorial services, from unwanted disruption.
- Subsection (c) lists four types of banned disorderly conduct, including threatening displays, loud noise, blocking access, and nearby demonstrations, now applying to religious services as well as funerals.
- Subsection (c) extends the restricted zone to facilities, buildings, or other locations 'both inside and outside' the service, broadening where the 500-foot buffer applies.
- Subsection (d) makes violations a misdemeanor generally, but raises the penalty to an aggravated misdemeanor if the disruption occurs at a funeral or memorial service involving military funeral honors.
## Status
- Status: Passed (2026-05-12)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-07-01 (2026-05-12)
- Sponsors: Steve Gooch, Jason Anavitarte, Larry Walker, Carden Summers, Drew Echols, Bo Hatchett, Randy Robertson, John Albers, Russ Goodman, Frank Ginn, Timothy Bearden, Clint Dixon, Shawn Still, Lee Anderson, Ricky Williams, Bill Cowsert, Deborah Silcox
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73654
> The history, votes, and amendments (1,037 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb591.md?full=1