Bill caps penalties for attacks on abortion-alternative centers

What it does

This bill amends federal law to increase criminal penalties and civil damages for attacks on pregnancy resource centers (facilities providing abortion-alternative counseling) and places of religious worship. It creates a new sentencing tier for first-time offenders at these specific locations—capping imprisonment at 3 years instead of the standard penalty structure—and establishes a $20,000 civil damages floor per violation for attacks on these facilities, compared to the general federal statute's baseline.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is not to increase penalties uniformly but to INSERT CAPS and FLOORS that apply only to pregnancy resource centers and religious worship sites. The title promises 'defense' and 'adequate penalties,' but the text reduces the sentencing range available to prosecutors for first-time offenders at these locations, creating a carve-out that weakens rather than strengthens protection.

What the text implies

• The 3-year cap for first-time offenders at pregnancy resource centers may be LOWER than the baseline penalty structure in §248(b)(1) for comparable attacks on other facilities, effectively creating a protected class of targets with reduced legal consequences.
• The bill does not define 'exclusively provides abortion-alternative services'—a facility offering both abortion alternatives AND other services (e.g., general health counseling) may fall outside the enhanced protection, creating ambiguity and potential litigation over facility classification.

The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.

Who stands to gain

pregnancy resource centers (non-profit and for-profit operators); religious organizations and houses of worship