Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: H0615 – Religious Worship Protection & Speech Law Amendment
Bill Summary
House Bill 615 amends Idaho’s disturbing the peace statute (Section 18-6409) by making two substantive changes to existing criminal law. First, it adds ‘religious gathering, house of worship’ to the list of protected places whose peace cannot be maliciously and willfully disturbed through loud noise, tumultuous conduct, threatening, fighting, or firing weapons. Second, it removes the provision that criminalized using ‘vulgar, profane or indecent language within the presence or hearing of children, in a loud and boisterous manner.’ The bill also makes a minor grammatical correction, changing ‘fires any gun or pistol’ to ‘by firing any gun or pistol’ to maintain parallel structure with other prohibited conduct in the statute. The legislation includes an emergency clause making it effective July 1, 2026.
Overall Assessment
This bill provides explicit criminal protection for religious gatherings and houses of worship against malicious disturbances, making it a misdemeanor to willfully disrupt their peace through noise, offensive conduct, threats, fighting, or weapons discharge.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. RESPONSIBILITY IN GOVERNMENT (0)
The bill modifies criminal disturbing the peace provisions without addressing fiscal responsibility, taxation, government spending, congressional reform, or election administration. The changes to Section 18-6409 concern criminal conduct definitions rather than governmental operations or fiscal policy.
ARTICLE II. CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT (0)
This amendment to criminal law does not address citizen participation in government, primary elections, voting methods, election integrity, or political discourse. The bill concerns criminal penalties for disturbing the peace rather than civic engagement or electoral processes.
ARTICLE III. EDUCATION (0)
While the bill removes language about profane speech around children, this is a general criminal statute unrelated to education policy, curriculum, parental rights in schools, or educational institutions. The changes do not affect school operations, educational standards, or parental involvement in education.
ARTICLE IV. AGRICULTURE (0)
The bill contains no provisions relating to agriculture, farming, ranching, agricultural education, water rights for agricultural use, or agricultural markets. The disturbing the peace amendments are unconnected to Idaho's agricultural industry.
ARTICLE V. WATER (0)
This criminal law amendment does not address water rights, water appropriation, inter-basin transfers, dam construction, or water management. The bill has no connection to water policy or water resource administration.
ARTICLE VI. NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT (0)
The bill does not address natural resource management, environmental stewardship, federal land policy, wilderness areas, or resource extraction. The changes to disturbing the peace law are unrelated to environmental or natural resource issues.
ARTICLE VII. ENERGY (0)
This amendment contains no provisions regarding energy policy, energy independence, hydroelectric power, nuclear energy, electrical rates, or energy resource development. The bill is unconnected to energy matters.
ARTICLE VIII. IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORIES (0)
The bill does not address Idaho National Laboratory operations, nuclear research, technology transfer, or energy technology development. The disturbing the peace amendments have no connection to INL activities or policies.
ARTICLE IX. PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS (0)
While the bill protects the peace of various places, it does not address property rights, eminent domain, just compensation, regulatory takings, or property development regulations. The criminal statute concerns conduct rather than property ownership or use rights.
ARTICLE X. STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS (0)
This criminal law amendment does not address federal land management, state land administration, land ownership transfers, or public land access. The bill has no connection to land management policy.
ARTICLE XI. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT (0)
The bill contains no provisions relating to wildlife management, fish and game administration, hunting, fishing, predator control, or habitat protection. The disturbing the peace amendments are unrelated to wildlife policy.
ARTICLE XII. ECONOMY (0)
This amendment to criminal law does not address commerce, industry, small business regulation, labor policy, or transportation infrastructure. The changes concern criminal conduct definitions rather than economic policy or business regulation.
ARTICLE XIII. HEALTH AND WELFARE (0)
The bill does not address healthcare delivery, health insurance, patient rights, medical conscience protections, or welfare programs. The disturbing the peace amendments are unrelated to health and welfare policy.
ARTICLE XIV. AMERICAN FAMILY (0)
While the bill removes language criminalizing profane speech around children and continues to protect family peace, these changes do not substantively alter family structure, parental rights, marriage policy, or family-related legal protections. The existing protection for 'family' peace remains unchanged.
ARTICLE XV. OLDER AMERICANS (0)
The bill contains no provisions relating to older Americans, retirement security, elder care, or services for the elderly. The disturbing the peace amendments do not address issues affecting older citizens.
ARTICLE XVI. LAW AND ORDER WITH JUSTICE (0)
While this bill amends a criminal misdemeanor statute, the changes do not address presumption of innocence, punishment severity, victim restitution, gun rights, the death penalty, drug policy, or immigration enforcement. The modifications adjust which conduct constitutes disturbing the peace without engaging the core criminal justice principles outlined in this metric.
ARTICLE XVII. NATIONAL DEFENSE – SECURING THE BORDER (0)
The bill does not address military affairs, veterans' services, national defense, border security, National Guard operations, or foreign policy. The disturbing the peace amendments are unrelated to defense or border security matters.
ARTICLE XVIII. ELECTION OF JUDGES AND IDAHO SUPREME COURT JUSTICES (0)
This criminal law amendment does not address judicial elections, judicial selection processes, constitutional interpretation methods, or court operations. The bill has no connection to judicial policy or court administration.
ARTICLE XIX. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY (1)
The bill explicitly adds 'religious gathering, house of worship' to Section 18-6409, creating specific criminal protection for religious assemblies and worship spaces against malicious disturbances. This addition provides religious gatherings with the same legal protection already afforded to neighborhoods, families, and individuals, directly strengthening protections for religious exercise and worship activities under Idaho criminal law.