MONTGOMERY — The Alabama House of Representatives passed legislation on Tuesday making the disruption of a worship service in Alabama a Class C felony.
According to HB 363, if an individual knowingly enters a church building or church property with the "intent to disrupt" a worship service, law enforcement can arrest and charge the individual for the act. Disruption is defined by the legislation as rioting, engaging in disorderly conduct, harassing any individual participant, and/or obstructing the ingress or egress to a church building or its property.
The bill's sponsor, State Rep. Greg Barnes (R-Jasper), explained that a disruption would likely be addressed by law enforcement.
"A police officer will come in and listen to what the evidence is that they have heard," Barnes told reporters. "Depending on the level of disruption, whether they were violent, whether they tore stuff up, whether they injured someone. I think they would make a call based strictly on that, but that would be really at the officer's discretion, like most things are."
Under Alabama law, a Class C felony is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The legislation now heads to the Senate.
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