Every person who, except a parent or guardian acting towards their minor child or ward, commits any of the following acts shall be subject to the punishment specified in Section 423.3.

(a) By force, threat of force, or physical obstruction that is a crime of violence, intentionally injures, intimidates, interferes with, or attempts to injure, intimidate, or interfere with, any person or entity because that person or entity is a reproductive health services patient, provider, or assistant, or in order to intimidate a person or entity, or a class of persons or entities, or from becoming or remaining a reproductive health services patient, provider, or assistant.

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Terms Used In California Penal Code 423.2

  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Penal Code 7
  • property: includes both real and personal property. See California Penal Code 7

(b) By force, threat of force, or physical obstruction that is a crime of violence, intentionally injures, intimidates, interferes with, or attempts to injure, intimidate, or interfere with a person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.

(c) By nonviolent physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with, or attempts to injure, intimidate, or interfere with, any person or entity because that person or entity is a reproductive health services patient, provider, or assistant, or in order to intimidate any person or entity, or any class of persons or entities, from becoming or remaining a reproductive health services patient, provider, or assistant.

(d) By nonviolent physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with, or attempts to injure, intimidate, or interfere with, a person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.

(e) Intentionally damages or destroys the property of a person, entity, or facility, or attempts to do so, because the person, entity, or facility is a reproductive health services patient, provider, assistant, or facility.

(f) Intentionally damages or destroys the property of a place of religious worship.

(g) Within 100 feet of the entrance to, or within, a reproductive health services facility, intentionally videotapes, films, photographs, or records by electronic means, a reproductive health services patient, provider, or assistant without that person’s consent with specific intent to intimidate the person from becoming or remaining a reproductive health services patient, provider, or assistant, and thereby causes the person to be intimidated.

(h) In any manner or forum, including, but not limited to, internet websites and social media, intentionally discloses or distributes a videotape, film, photograph, or recording knowing it was obtained in violation of subdivision (g) with the specific intent to intimidate the person from becoming or remaining a reproductive health services patient, provider, or assistant, and thereby causes the person to be intimidated. For purposes of this subdivision, “social media” means an electronic service or account, or electronic content, including, but not limited to, videos or still photographs, blogs, video blogs, podcasts, instant and text messages, email, online services or accounts, or internet website profiles or locations.

(i) Subdivisions (g) and (h) do not apply to a person described in subdivision (b) of § 2 of Article I of the California Constitution.

(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 191, Sec. 6. (AB 1356) Effective January 1, 2022.)