HB 242: Crimes and offenses; disorderly or disruptive conduct at any funeral or memorial service; include religious worship and observance

Georgia law already makes it a crime to intentionally disrupt a funeral or memorial service. This bill would expand that same protection to cover religious worship or observance, meaning church services, prayer gatherings, and similar religious events would get the same legal shield against intentional disruption. The bill amends O.C.G.A. § 16-11-34.2 by adding the words 'religious worship or observance' throughout the section's opening declaration and its main prohibition. It keeps the existing rule that the disruption must be intentional, and that the restrictions are meant to be content neutral, meaning they target disruptive conduct itself rather than any particular message or viewpoint. The specific list of conduct that counts as disorderly or disruptive is not changed by the quoted sections, though the introductory language of that list is updated to include worship and observance.

• Adds 'religious worship or observance' to the list of gatherings protected from intentional disruption under Georgia's disorderly conduct law (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-34.2).
• Extends the existing ban on impeding, disrupting, disturbing, or interfering with funerals to also cover religious worship services and observances.
• Keeps the law's requirement that the restrictions be content neutral, meaning they regulate disruptive behavior, not the content of speech or belief.
• Updates the introductory language listing prohibited conduct so it now applies to worship, observance, funeral, or memorial services alike.

Churches, mosques, synagogues, and other religious congregations holding worship services; people attending or leading religious observances; funeral homes and families holding funerals or memorial services; and anyone who might face criminal charges for intentionally disrupting these events.

If a person intentionally disrupts a church service or other religious gathering, they could now face the same criminal penalties that currently apply to disrupting a funeral. This gives religious congregations a specific legal tool against intentional interference with their services.

• Section 1 revises subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 16-11-34.2 to declare that attending religious worship or observance, in addition to funerals, is a substantial interest protected from unwanted disruption.
• Section 1 also revises the introductory language of subsection (b), making it unlawful to disrupt religious worship or observance as well as funerals and memorial services.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard clause that does not change the bill's substantive effect.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (Cámara de Representantes)
2. 2025-02-20House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Cámara de Representantes)
3. 2025-02-06House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2025-02-05House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2025-02-04House Hopper (Cámara de Representantes)

• Deborah Silcox (R, HD-053)Patrocinador principal
• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)
• Matt Reeves (R, HD-099)
• Joe Campbell (R, HD-171)
• Esther Panitch (D, HD-051)

• religious freedom
• criminal law
• funeral disruption
• disorderly conduct