Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act

Bill: 117-s-4538
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO]
Introduced: 2022-07-14
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Latest action: action_date: 2022-07-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-07-14
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act</b></p> <p>This bill increases criminal penalties (and authorizes additional civil remedies) for intentionally damaging or destroying the property of a facility that exclusively provides abortion-alternative services or that is a place of religious worship. It also establishes a mandatory minimum sentence for certain conduct involving fire or explosives used against such a facility or place of religious worship.</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4538 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 14, 2022 Mr. Hawley introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act . 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 . 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 .