Protecting Religiously Affiliated Institutions Act of 2018
Public Law 115-249 · S. 994 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Sep 28, 2018 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Cosponsors (3): Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Lindsey Graham,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Protecting Religiously Affiliated Institutions Act of 2018
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the federal criminal code to modify an existing prohibition on intentionally obstructing, by force or threat of force, a person in the free exercise of religious beliefs.
The bill specifies that, with respect to the prohibition, a threat of force includes a threat of force against religious real property.
Additionally, it establishes a criminal penalty—a fine, a prison term of up to three years, or both—for a violation that results in damage or destruction to religious real property in an amount that exceeds $5,000.
Finally, the bill broadens the definition of "religious real property" to include real property owned or leased by a nonprofit, religiously affiliated organization.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 1730Related bill
Protecting Religiously Affiliated Institutions Act of 2017
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- Sep 28, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-249.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 18, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Sep 7, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mrs. Handel asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- Sep 5, 2018FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 4, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Aug 22, 2018FloorFloor · By Senator Grassley from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 115-325.
- Apr 26, 2018CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 394.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Apr 19, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- May 1, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.