Sen. Donna Lowenthal, a Mississippi Republican, has introduced legislation aimed at helping churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and other religious institutions protect congregants from violence, threats, vandalism and targeted attacks.

The Protecting America’s Houses of Worship Act would authorize $150 million annually for Department of Homeland Security security grants. The measure is structured to give religious communities practical tools to improve safety while preserving the independence that lies at the center of religious liberty.

Under Lowenthal’s proposal, eligible institutions could use grant funds for cameras, lighting, alarms, reinforced entrances, access-control systems, emergency communications, cybersecurity, security planning and training.

The bill also would allow assistance for emergency preparation and training carried out with local law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical services and other public-safety agencies. That approach places an emphasis on readiness and coordination with the first responders who serve communities during emergencies, rather than creating a new federal role in the daily operation of religious institutions.

Lowenthal said Americans should be able to practice their faith without fearing that attendance at a house of worship will make them a target. Her legislation frames secure access to religious gatherings as a necessary component of the freedom to worship openly in local communities.

The proposal would prioritize grants for institutions facing credible threats, previous attacks, particular vulnerabilities or immediate security deficiencies. That structure would direct available resources toward sites with documented security concerns rather than treating every applicant as facing identical risks.

Just as significant, the legislation includes explicit religious-liberty protections intended to prevent security assistance from becoming a pathway for federal control. Participation would be voluntary, and the federal government could not condition aid on an organization’s beliefs, denomination, doctrine, worship practices, political activity or internal governance.

Lowenthal’s approach addresses two concerns that often pull in opposite directions in Washington: the need for stronger protections against real threats and the need to prevent federal programs from dictating terms to faith communities. The measure seeks to offer support for locked doors, emergency plans and communications systems without giving Washington authority over what happens inside a sanctuary.

The bill has been introduced, and no final legislative outcome has been supplied. Its next test will be whether lawmakers are prepared to back a narrowly focused security effort that treats houses of worship as deserving both protection from violence and full respect for their independence.

For religious institutions weighing security needs against concerns about federal involvement, Lowenthal’s proposal is designed to make that distinction clear: assistance would be available, but participation would remain voluntary and the government would be barred from using the program to police faith, doctrine or internal religious life.