ADL Welcomes Introduction of Comprehensive and Bipartisan Federal Buffer Zone Legislation Protecting Safe Access to Synagogues and Houses of Worship

New York, NY, August 6, 2026 – ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today welcomed the introduction of the Right to Worship Act, a bicameral and bipartisan bill that will protect people of every faith from conduct that interferes with their First Amendment rights. The legislation was introduced by Senators Ted Cruz, R-TX, and Elissa Slotkin, D-MI, and Reps. Brad Knott, R-NC, and Thomas Suozzi, D-NY. 

The Right to Worship Act builds on the framework ADL helped develop through the SACRED Act to prohibit knowingly disrupting religious services or impeding congregants from attending services within 100 feet of a house of worship during a defined period, striking the right balance to protect both the right to religious worship and the right to protected speech.  

The need for these protections has only grown more urgent. In 2025 alone, ADL documented dozens of protest-related antisemitic incidents and nearly 530 incidents of harassment at synagogues in the U.S. 

"No one should have to push through a hostile crowd or shout over a bullhorn in an attempt to pray," said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. "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.” 

The legislation comes in the wake of a series of deeply concerning incidents outside houses of worship. This spring, hundreds of anti-Israel demonstrators massed outside Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, displaying a Hezbollah flag and stickers depicting a swastika inside a Star of David, and clashed with police. The following week, demonstrators gathered outside a synagogue in Brooklyn's Midwood neighborhood, where police made multiple arrests after protesters threw objects during confrontations. Those incidents followed the March attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, where an assailant rammed a truck into the synagogue while more than a hundred children were inside. These incidents have caused some worshippers to reconsider attending religious services out of concern for their safety.  

ADL has been at the forefront working with states to ensure protection for individuals seeking to exercise their right to religious freedom free from intentional obstruction, threats, and targeted intimidation outside houses of worship. Through carefully tailored safe worship zone bills, ADL has already helped ensure the passage of new laws in New York City, New York, Maryland and Arizona. We continue to advocate for bills pending in California and Pennsylvania and expect similar efforts in several more states. Much of that momentum was built on ADL's research, model legislation and advocacy, and it demonstrates that leaders across the country recognize what is at stake and are prepared to act to protect their communities. It’s now time for Congress to take action as Jewish and other faith communities continue to confront a sustained rise in harassment and intimidation.