California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed two bills into law on Friday that expand security protections for houses of worship and nonprofit organizations.
AB 2664, the Safe Worship Zone Act, establishes a 100-foot zone around entrances and exits of houses of worship. Within the zone, a person may not intentionally approach someone entering or leaving within 8 feet without consent to distribute literature, display a sign, engage in oral protest or education or harass, obstruct, threaten or intimidate the person.
AB 1836 expands California’s State Nonprofit Security Grant Program to cover security at offsite events hosted by eligible nonprofits, including festivals, parades, celebrations and religious observances. Security grants for offsite events are capped at $25,000.
“Every Californian should be able to walk into a synagogue, church, mosque or other house of worship without fear,” Newsom stated. “California is continuing to protect these organizations and the people they serve, and we’re strengthening that work from the front door to expanding security resources to community events statewide.”
David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California, which sponsored both bills, stated that “our communities don’t just gather behind security doors—we gather for religious holidays in the park, we demonstrate and we host public festivals and parades.”
“Vulnerable communities should not have to worry about safety when practicing our traditions in the community,” he said. “But with hate-motivated violence on the rise, the cost of securing these gatherings has become prohibitive for many organizations, threatening the very community-building that defines us.”
