SB 1087

Under current federal law, there are criminal and civil penalties for disrupting another person’s access to reproductive health services and places of religious worship. This bill creates a similar set of penalties under state law.

Under the bill, it is a Class A misdemeanor, or a Class I felony for a second or subsequent offense, to do any of the following:

1. By using force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injure, intimidate, or interfere with a person because they have been obtaining or providing reproductive health services.

2. By using force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injure, intimidate, or interfere with a person to attempt to prevent that person from obtaining or providing reproductive health services.

3. Intentionally damage or destroy the property of a reproductive health service facility because the facility provides reproductive health services.

4. By using force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injure, intimidate, or interfere with a person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.

5. Intentionally damage or destroy the property of a place of religious worship.

The bill also creates a civil cause of action for persons or entities harmed by an action from the above list and provides that a court may order appropriate relief for individuals who have been harmed and may, in addition, assess civil forfeitures against violators.

Under current law, a Class A misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to nine months, or both, and a Class I felony is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to three years and six months, or both.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.