Ch. 786                                          LAWS OF MARYLAND

CHAPTER 786

(House Bill 1095)

AN ACT concerning

Criminal Interference with Religion—-Ethnic Crimes
Religious Property of Beliefs
Religious and Ethnic Crimes

FOR the purpose of making it a crime to deface, damage, or
destroy or attempt to deface, damage, or destroy religious
real or personal property under certain circumstances;
making it a crime to obstruct, or attempt to obstruct by
force or threat of force, a person in the free exercise of
that person's religious beliefs; making it a separate crime
to commit a crime upon a person or damage a person's
property because of that person's race, color, religion, or
national origin; under certain circumstances; making it a
separate crime to harass or commit a crime upon a person or
damage a person's property because of that person's race,
color, religious beliefs, or national origin; establishing
certain penalties a certain penalty certain penalties; and
generally relating to criminal interference with religious
real or personal property and or beliefs religious and
ethnic crimes.

BY adding to

Article 27 - Crimes and Punishments

Section 470A to be under the new subheading "Religious Real

Property and Beliefs and Ethnic Crimes Property or

Beliefs and Ethnic Crimes"
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1987 Replacement Volume)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 27 - Crimes and Punishments

RELIGIOUS REAL PROPERTY AND BELIEFS AND ETHNIC CRIMES
PROPERTY OR BELIEFS AND ETHNIC CRIMES

470A.

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE
MEANINGS INDICATED.

(2) "RELIGIOUS REAL PROPERTY" INCLUDES CHURCH,
SYNAGOGUE, OR RELIGIOUS CEMETERY, SCHOOL, EDUCATIONAL FACILITY OR

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