Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act

Bill: 119-hr-636
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24]
Introduced: 2025-01-22
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Abortion

Civil actions and liability

Crimes against property

Criminal procedure and sentencing

Family planning and birth control

Fires

Religion

U.S. Sentencing Commission
Latest action: action_date: 2025-01-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-22
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act&nbsp;</strong></p><p>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.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 636 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.

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 .