In a significant move to safeguard religious liberty amid rising incidents of protest-related disruptions, Georgia lawmakers passed, and Gov. Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 591 into law in 2026. The legislation amends the state’s criminal code to prohibit intentional interference with religious services and establishes a 500-foot buffer zone around places of worship where disruptive protests are banned from one hour before a service begins until one hour after it ends. Sponsored primarily by Sen. Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega), the measure responds to high-profile events such as the storming of a Minnesota church service and local disturbances, aiming to ensure worshippers can gather peacefully without fear of harassment or intimidation while balancing First Amendment considerations.
The bill was introduced in the Georgia Senate during the 2025-2026 legislative session amid growing concerns over incidents where protestors disrupted worship services. A key trigger was a high-profile protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators entered the sanctuary, chanted slogans, and interrupted a service led by a pastor involved with immigration enforcement. Other cited examples include a viral video of a man shouting during a service at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, and an increase in protests outside synagogues following the October 2023 events. Supporters, including the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, argued the legislation was needed to protect religious liberty and prevent harassment or the storming of services, extending existing protections already in place for funerals and memorial services.
Key provisions of SB 591 make it illegal to intentionally impede, disrupt, disturb, or interfere with a religious service – defined as any public gathering for worship or religious purposes – through disorderly conduct. The law creates a 500-foot buffer zone around places of worship where protests “intended to disrupt” religious services are prohibited. This restriction applies from one hour before a service is scheduled to begin until one hour after its posted end time. Violations are misdemeanors punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and/or up to one year in jail. The bill also strengthens penalties for disrupting military funerals, elevating them to high and aggravated misdemeanors with fines up to $5,000 and up to one year in jail.
Going forward, the law significantly affects how protests can occur near churches and other houses of worship in Georgia. Peaceful expression or assembly outside the buffer zone or outside the designated time windows remains protected, but any protest activity deemed disruptive within 500 feet during the extended service period risks misdemeanor charges. This creates a clearer legal distinction between protected protest and actions that intentionally interfere with worship, though enforcement will depend on how authorities interpret “disruptive” intent on a case-by-case basis. Existing trespassing laws already cover some scenarios inside buildings, but the new buffer zone and specific religious-service protections expand the reach of enforcement around the perimeter during sensitive times.
Reactions have been sharply divided along free-speech and religious-liberty lines. Supporters, including Georgia Baptist leaders, praise the measure as a reasonable safeguard that allows churches to fulfill their mission without fear or intimidation in an increasingly hostile cultural climate. Critics, including the ACLU of Georgia and free-press advocates, contend the law is unnecessary, risks chilling First Amendment rights to speech and assembly near religious institutions, and introduces vague language that could complicate policing or invite selective enforcement and future litigation. They argue existing laws sufficiently address genuine disruptions without creating new buffer zones or hierarchies of protected activities.
As Georgia’s newest protection for religious services takes effect, it joins a growing number of state measures responding to disruptive protests at places of worship. The law does not ban all protesting near churches but draws a firm line against intentional interference during worship windows, reshaping the legal landscape for demonstrators, congregations, and law enforcement alike. Observers on both sides anticipate court challenges testing its boundaries against constitutional protections for speech and religion.
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