Suozzi (D-NY), Knott (R-NC), and over a Dozen National Religious Organizations Urge Passage of Bipartisan, Bicameral Right to Worship Act

September 16, 2026 Press Release Representatives Suozzi and Knott introduced bipartisan, bicameral Right to Worship Act in the House alongside Senate companion by Senators Cruz (R-TX) and Slotkin (D-MI) Washington, D.C. —Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) today held a press conference with Right to Worship Act co-lead Congressman Brad Knott (R-NC) and supporters from national endorsing organizations to urge the House and Senate to advance the buffer zone legislation this Congress. The Right to Worship Act would establish a 100-foot, protest-free buffer zone around houses of worship during religious services, making it unlawful to knowingly disrupt or impede people from attending. The bill prohibits conduct that knowingly “hinders,” “deters,” “threatens,” or “intimidates” worshippers trying to enter religious services and would impose civil fines for violations. It authorizes individuals, the U.S. Attorney General, and state attorneys general to sue violators. Peaceful expression protected by the First Amendment is excluded from the bill’s prohibited activities. “Exercising your right to worship should not require you to exhibit particular courage as you enter your synagogue, church, mosque, temple, mandir, or gurdwara,” said Congressman Suozzi. “I will always stand up for people’s right to protest peacefully, but attendees of religious services should not be harassed, threatened, intimidated, or targeted for practicing their faith. I am proud to lead this bipartisan and bicameral Right to Worship Act that both protects free speech and the freedom to worship.” “The breadth of support for the Right to Worship Act is very gratifying. So many groups recognize the horrifying reality that the threat to the freedom to worship is not unique to any one faith or congregation. Every religious community feels it, which is why this bill will protect everybody,” Suozzi continued. “I’m proud to stand with such a broad coalition of faith leaders united behind this essential legislation to safeguard the right to worship for every religious community on Long Island, in Queens, and across America.” “Whether you’re in conservative America, liberal America, red America, or blue America, our Constitution considers your individual right to worship as you see fit. In every corner of this country, that right is being threatened. If people in the United States cannot worship, we do not have a First Amendment. And the right to worship is under attack,” said Congressman Brad Knott (R-NC). “I commend Representative Suozzi for his monumental effort in assembling this team behind us and across the country that was so valuable in crafting this legislation that protects the rights of people who want to speak and protest peacefully. And it protects the rights of those who want to worship.” Congressman Suozzi’s Right to Worship Act follows his earlier introduction of the SACRED Act in April 2026. Suozzi worked with colleagues in both parties and chambers to build bipartisan, bicameral support for his buffer zone legislation, introducing the Right to Worship Act in the House with Congressman Brad Knott (R-NC) last month alongside a companion measure in the Senate by Senators Cruz (R-TX) and Slotkin (D-MI). Suozzi also expanded the coalition of organizations supporting the legislation, securing the endorsement of more than 30 national groups across faiths for the Right to Worship Act. Congressman Suozzi and Congressman Knott were joined by representatives from Anti-Defamation League, National Association of Evangelicals, Jewish Federations of North America, American Muslim and Multifaith Women's Empowerment Council, Hindu American Foundation, UNITED SIKHS, American Jewish Committee, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Orthodox Union, Coalition of Hindus of North America, Hadassah, Agudath Israel of America, StandWithUs, and Combat Antisemitism Movement. “No one should have to push through a hostile crowd or shout over a bullhorn in an attempt to pray. ADL has championed safe worship zone legislation from the beginning, working hand in hand with lawmakers and other key stakeholders to build support and consensus around a critical bipartisan solution. The Right to Worship Act is the product of that work. We are grateful to Senators Cruz and Slotkin and Representatives Knott and Suozzi for their commitment to ensuring everyone, regardless of their faith, can worship freely and safely,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of ADL. “Guaranteeing the right for all citizens to worship and freely practice their faith without fear or intimidation is one of the greatest achievements of our nation. Representatives Brad Knott and Tom Suozzi, and Senators Ted Cruz and Elissa Slotkin are to be commended for their proactive leadership to protect this precious blessing for current and future generations,” said Galen Carey, Vice President of Government Relations for the National Association of Evangelicals. “According to American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) State of Antisemitism in America 2025 Report, 28% of American Jews say that at least one Jewish institution they are affiliated with has been a target of antisemitic incidents in the last five years, and 55% of American Jews altered their behavior in the past year out of fear of antisemitism. At a time of rising threats against Jewish institutions, we applaud Representatives Knott and Suozzi for introducing the bipartisan Right to Worship Act to ensure safe access to houses of worship ,” said Ted Deutch, CEO of American Jewish Committee. “Every community deserves to gather safely in their house of worship. Too often, we've seen Jewish Americans and other faith communities targeted or intimidated simply for practicing their faith. The Right to Worship Act gives law enforcement and communities the tools they need to prevent these disruptions before they escalate, while still respecting every American's First Amendment rights. Safety and religious freedom aren't in tension; this bill shows how we can protect both,” said Hon. Eric D. Fingerhut, President and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America. “As an American Muslim, I believe religious freedom is the birthright of every American. No one—Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, or of any other faith—should ever be intimidated or afraid simply for entering a house of worship. The Right to Worship Act affirms that protecting people while they pray is not a partisan issue; it is an American responsibility,” said Anila Ali, President and CEO of American Muslim and Multifaith Women's Empowerment Council (AMMWEC). "The Hindu American community commends Representative Tom Suozzi (D-NY) for his bipartisan leadership in spearheading the Right to Worship Act, which is a critical step in safeguarding our places of worship. In recent years, we have seen a disturbing rise in the harassment of devotees and disruption of services at Hindu mandirs across America, which has deeply shaken the sense of safety for our families and devotees. By making it unlawful to intentionally disrupt or harass individuals within 100 feet of a religious establishment and establishing civil penalties, this legislation ensures that our mandirs remain the sacred spaces of peace and community they are meant to be. No American should have to exercise their First Amendment right to pray under the shadow of intimidation or fear,” said Suhag Shukla, Esq., Executive Director at the Hindu American Foundation. “Protecting religious freedom and protecting freedom of expression are not mutually exclusive. Both are essential to a free, diverse, and democratic society. The right to worship freely and the right to express oneself freely go together,” said Gurvinder Singh Gill, International Aid Director of UNITED SIKHS. “BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha welcomes the bipartisan Right to Worship Act, which will help protect houses of worship, including Hindu mandirs, from disruption and intimidation. Four of our mandirs have been vandalized in recent years, and a family should never have to think twice before walking through the door of a house of worship. We are grateful to Representatives Knott and Suozzi for their leadership on this; protecting worship is a fundamentally American issue,” said Mukesh Swaroop, Director of Government Relations for BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. “Tom Suozzi has been an outstanding leader in fighting antisemitism, supporting Israel and standing with American Jewry. His work with Congressman Knott to protect our right to worship is exactly the kind of bipartisan leadership we need. There is no greater friend to the Jewish community than Tom Suozzi,” said Nathan Diament, Executive Director of Advocacy of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (Orthodox Union). "Few rights are as cherished in America as our freedom to practice the religion of our choosing. But for the American Hindu community that foundational right has felt challenged as more than a dozen temples across the country have faced physical desecration. Since 2022, Hindu temples have seen multiple acts of vandalism, threats and in one case, gunfire, while devotees were inside the temple. These repeated incidents of harassment send a chilling message to the broader Hindu community—s--shattering the sense of solace that should embody a place or worship. Coming amid rising Hinduphobia in the country, this has led to serious concerns among American Hindus about basic security. Thank you, Congressman Tom Souzzi and Congressman Brad Knott, for introducing the Right to Worship Act. This a much-needed step to help ensure that devotees of every faith can visit their places of worship and pray without fear of being targeted or intimidated for simply exercising their First Amendment rights. We appreciate Rep. Suozzi for supporting our community in past years when our temples in New York came under attack, and for responding to our concerns,” said Hitesh Trivedi, COO and NJ Chapter Director of Coalition of Hindus of North America. "Hadassah has heard from women across the country who have said they are afraid to worship at their synagogues and when they do they spend much of the time anxiously watching the doors for signs of danger. Many of them have been verbally accosted on their way to and from services. We are grateful to Senators Cruz and Slotkin and Representatives Knott and Suozzi for their leadership in introducing the bipartisan Right to Worship Act to address this critical issue. The legislation would establish a 100-foot ‘protection zone’ outside houses of worship and prohibit conduct that impedes entry or disrupts services. We urge Congress to advance this legislation as quickly as possible. Americans should never feel unsafe when practicing their faith,” said Carol Ann Schwartz, National President of Hadassah. “Religious liberty cannot exist only on paper. It must exist in practice. Because the freedom to worship means very little without the freedom to worship without fear,” said Rabbi Yossie Charner, Director of Congressional Affairs at Agudath Israel of America. “StandWithUs spends much of its time defending the First Amendment, which protects both the right to speak and the right to worship. It does not ask Americans to choose between them, and neither does this bill. The Right to Worship Act draws a clear and narrow line: say what you want, but you may not drown out a religious service or frighten a family away from the door. We are grateful to Congressman Suozzi, Congressman Knott, and Senators Cruz and Slotkin for this bipartisan bill that protects both parts of our first freedom, and we urge Congress to pass it this year,” said Hadas Alterman, Director of Legislative Strategy at StandWithUs. “America was founded by individuals who came seeking religious freedom. The right to worship, free from harassment and discrimination, was paramount. More recently, however, in America, harassers have been emboldened, while the faithful have been abandoned. This is particularly true for Jews in America who, in the aftermath of October 7th, have had to endure violent threats and intimidating harassment just to enter synagogues to practice their faith and gather as a community. The Right to Worship Act protects two First Amendment rights – to speech and to the free exercise of religion. By balancing both of these rights, the bill ensures that Jews, and members of all faiths, are able to worship and study in peace. We commend Representatives Suozzi and Knott and Senators Cruz and Slotkin for their bipartisan leadership and look forward to Congress swiftly advancing this common-sense measure into law,” said Alyza Lewin, President of US Affairs at Combat Antisemitism Movement. The Right to Worship Act has been endorsed by more than 30 national groups, including: ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Agudath Israel of America aish American Jewish Committee (AJC) American Muslim & Multifaith Women's Empowerment Council (AMMWEC) BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations End Jew Hatred First Liberty Institute Hadassah Hindu American Foundation (HAF) Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) Israel-American Coalition for Action Jewish Federations of North America Kol Yisrael National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) National Jewish Advocacy Center New York Board of Rabbis NORPAC North American Division of Seventh-day Adventist Church Orthodox Union Rabbinical Assembly StandWithUs The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) UJA-Federation of New York Union for Reform Judaism UNITED SIKHS United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) ###