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This bill would increase federal penalties for attacks on facilities that offer counseling about abortion alternatives, such as pregnancy resource centers, and on places of worship. It would make the punishment stronger for some first-time offenses, raise the amount people can be ordered to pay in civil lawsuits, and expand federal damage penalties when these buildings, vehicles, or other property are destroyed.
- For certain first offenses, the bill would allow up to 3 years in prison if the attack involved one of these protected facilities or a place of worship, unless the conduct was only a nonviolent physical obstruction.
- It would raise civil damages to $20,000 per violation for attacks on these facilities or places of worship, and to $25,000 for a first violation in some cases.
- It would also strengthen penalties for destroying buildings, vehicles, or property tied to these facilities, bringing them under a federal destruction-of-property law with a serious prison sentence.
- The bill is meant to give extra legal protection to places that provide abortion-alternative counseling and to houses of worship.
Official Summaries
Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act
This bill increases criminal penalties and authorizes additional civil remedies for intentionally damaging or destroying property that is a place of religious worship or a facility that exclusively provides abortion-alternative services. The bill also increases the mandatory minimum prison term for maliciously damaging or destroying, by means of fire or explosives, a building that is a place of religious worship or a facility that exclusively provides abortion-alternative services.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 636 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 636
To amend section 248 of title 18, United States Code, to provide
adequate penalties and remedies for attacks on facilities providing
counseling about abortion alternatives and attacks on places of
religious worship.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 22, 2025
Ms. Tenney introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend section 248 of title 18, United States Code, to provide
adequate penalties and remedies for attacks on facilities providing
counseling about abortion alternatives and attacks on places of
religious worship.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Pregnancy Resource Center Defense
Act''.
SEC. 2. ATTACKS ON FACILITIES PROVIDING COUNSELING ABOUT ABORTION
ALTERNATIVES AND PLACES OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.
(a) Criminal Penalties.--Section 248(b)(1) of title 18, United
States Code, is amended by inserting ``, except that for a first
offense, if the conduct involved a facility described in subsection
(a)(3) that exclusively provides abortion-alternative services or
involved a place of religious worship and did not involve exclusively a
nonviolent physical obstruction, the length of imprisonment shall be
not more than 3 years'' after ``or both''.
(b) Civil Remedies.--Section 248(c) of title 18, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(B), in the second sentence, by
inserting ``, or $20,000 per violation for conduct involving a
facility described in subsection (a)(3) that exclusively
provides abortion-alternative services or involving a place of
religious worship'' after ``per violation''; and
(2) in paragraph (2)(B)(i), by inserting ``, $25,000 for a
first violation, if the violation involved a facility described
in subsection (a)(3) that exclusively provides abortion-
alternative services or involved a place of religious worship
and did not involve exclusively a nonviolent physical
obstruction,'' after ``physical obstruction''.
SEC. 3. DESTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, AND PROPERTY.
Section 844(i) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by
inserting ``or if the building is a facility described in section
248(a)(3) that exclusively provides abortion-alternative services or is
a place of religious worship,'' before ``shall be imprisoned for not
less than 7 years''.
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