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Committee advances bill expanding aggravated trespass to cover indoor disruptions of religious services
Summary
The subcommittee approved HB 20-65 to expand aggravated criminal trespass to include knowingly entering and disrupting indoor religious assemblies; members debated potential First Amendment implications but the measure advanced 6-2 to full judiciary.
House Bill 20-65 would expand the aggravated criminal trespass statute to explicitly prohibit entering a house of worship without consent and disrupting a religious service inside a structure.
The sponsor said the bill responds to incidents where protesters entered worship services and disrupted congregations; the sponsor described the measure as focused on conduct inside a structure and said it was carefully drafted to avoid criminalizing outside peaceful protests.
Representative Powell and others pressed whether existing statutes (assault, vandalism, disorderly conduct) already cover the conduct and raised concerns about potential overbreadth. The sponsor replied the bill clarifies the law concerning intentional, reckless, or knowing conduct that causes fear or damages property inside a worship structure.
Leader Lambert and other supporters argued private property and worship deserve protection from disruptive intrusions and emphasized that peaceful protest remains allowed on public property. The committee voted 6-2 to forward HB 20-65 to full judiciary.
Next: HB 20-65 proceeds to full judiciary for further legal review and floor scheduling.
