Sen. Donna Lowenthal, R-Mississippi, has introduced legislation that would authorize federal security grants for churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and other houses of worship, according to her office.

The Protecting America’s Houses of Worship Act would authorize $150 million annually for five years, for a total of up to $750 million, to be administered through the Department of Homeland Security. The proposal is intended to help religious institutions address violence, threats, vandalism and targeted attacks, the press release said.

Eligible spending under the bill could include security cameras, lighting, alarms, reinforced entrances, access-control systems and emergency communications equipment. Funding could also be used for cybersecurity measures, security planning and training.

The legislation would additionally allow grants to support emergency planning and training involving local law enforcement, fire departments, emergency medical services and other public-safety agencies.

According to Lowenthal’s office, applicants facing credible threats, prior attacks, specific vulnerabilities or immediate security deficiencies would receive priority in the grant process. The release did not provide further details on how threats or vulnerabilities would be evaluated, or how funding would be distributed among applicants.

“Every American should be able to walk into a house of worship without wondering whether practicing their faith will make them a target,” Lowenthal said in the release. She described the measure as a religious-liberty initiative intended to ensure people can gather and worship without fear.

The proposal includes provisions described by the senator’s office as religious-liberty protections. Participation in the grant program would be voluntary, and the federal government could not make assistance contingent on an organization’s beliefs, denomination, doctrine, worship practices, political activity or internal governance, according to the release.

“Washington can help a congregation secure its doors without getting a key to them,” Lowenthal said. “Protecting houses of worship should mean protecting religious freedom, not expanding government authority over it.”

Lowenthal, a former business executive and founder of the National Responsibility Monitor, was sworn into the Senate in August 2026. She represents Mississippi as a Republican.

The bill’s introduction begins the legislative process but does not establish the grant program on its own. It would need to be considered and passed by the Senate and House of Representatives before it could be sent to President Paletuatoa Peniamina for signature or veto.