AB 237 creates a new criminal penalty for willfully threatening violence against houses of worship, schools, and other protected locations.
Assembly Bill 237 adds Section 422.3 to the California Penal Code, creating a new criminal offense for willfully threatening a killing or serious violence at a school, daycare, workplace, medical facility, or house of worship. To be prosecutable, the threat must be specific, unequivocal, and cause the victim reasonable, sustained fear. The offense is a wobbler for adults, while minors are directed toward services rather than delinquency proceedings where eligible.
The American Council supports AB 237 because it names houses of worship, alongside schools and clinics, as places deserving protection from violent intimidation. Congregations cannot exercise their faith freely if they gather in fear of threatened violence, and this bill gives prosecutors a clear, targeted tool to hold accountable anyone who threatens a church, synagogue, mosque, or other worship space. Protecting the physical safety of worshippers is foundational to religious liberty.
AB 237 passed the Assembly 75-0 and has cleared the Senate Public Safety and Appropriations Committees without opposition. It was ordered to the Senate's inactive file on September 13, 2025, at the request of Senator Grayson, and awaits further action before it can reach a full Senate floor vote. We will continue to track its progress.
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