SB 591: Offenses Against Public Order; the disruption of a religious service; prohibit

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. § 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.

• 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.

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.

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.

• 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.

1. 2026-05-12Effective Date 2026-07-01
2. 2026-05-12Act 626
3. 2026-05-12Senate Date Signed by Governor (Senado)
4. 2026-04-10Senate Sent to Governor (Senado)
5. 2026-03-31House Passed/Adopted (Cámara de Representantes)
6. 2026-03-31House Third Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
7. 2026-03-25House Committee Favorably Reported (Cámara de Representantes)
8. 2026-03-10House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)

• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)Patrocinador principal
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Larry Walker (R, SD-020)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Frank Ginn (R, SD-047)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• Deborah Silcox (R, HD-053)

1. AprobadaVotación: Senado6 de marzo de 2026

   39 a favor, 13 en contra (0 sin votar, 3 ausentes)

   Passage: Senate Vote #674

2. AprobadaVotación: Cámara de Representantes31 de marzo de 2026

   128 a favor, 39 en contra (2 sin votar, 7 ausentes)

   Passage: House Vote #826

• religious freedom
• public order laws
• funeral disruption
• criminal penalties
• military funerals