(a) A person is guilty of interfering with the legislative process when he:

(1) Alone or in concert with others, either by force, physical interference, fraud, intimidation or by means of any unlawful act, with intent to do so, prevents or attempts to prevent the General Assembly, either house thereof, or any committee of the General Assembly or either house thereof, from meeting;

(2) Alone or in concert with others, with intent to do so, disturbs, disrupts or interferes with, or attempts to disturb, disrupt or interfere with, any session, meeting or proceeding of the General Assembly or either house thereof or any committee of the General Assembly or either house thereof, whether within or outside the presence of said General Assembly, either house thereof or any such committee by (A) engaging in violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior; or (B) using abusive or obscene language or making an obscene gesture; or (C) making unreasonable noise; or (D) refusing to comply with a lawful order of the police or a member of the Office of State Capitol Police to disperse; or (E) performing any other act which disturbs, disrupts or interferes with any such session, meeting or proceeding;

(3) Alone or in concert with others, without legal authority takes, obtains, withholds, destroys, defaces or alters any official document or record of the General Assembly, either house thereof or any committee of the General Assembly, or either house thereof, which disrupts or interferes with the functioning of said General Assembly or committee or either house thereof;

(4) Alone or in concert with others, and without legal authority, takes, obtains, withholds, destroys or defaces any real or personal property owned or used by the General Assembly, either house thereof or any committee or agency of the General Assembly or either house thereof;

(5) Alone or in concert with others, and without legal authority or proper authorization, refuses to leave any part of the chamber, galleries or offices of the General Assembly or either house thereof, or the building in which such chamber, galleries or any such office is located, or within or upon any office or residence of any member of the General Assembly, or within or upon any room or building in which a legislative hearing or meeting is being conducted, upon a lawful order of the police or a member of the Office of State Capitol Police to disperse, leave or move to an area he designates;

(6) Alone or in concert with others, pickets inside any building in which the chamber, galleries or offices of the General Assembly or either house thereof is located, or in which the office or residence of any member of the General Assembly is located, or in which a legislative hearing or meeting is being conducted.

(b) Interference with the legislative process under the provisions of this section is a class A misdemeanor.

(P.A. 73-516, S. 1; P.A. 83-13, S. 1; P.A. 96-219, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 83-13 changed references to security officers to members of the office of state capitol security throughout the section; P.A. 96-219 amended Subsecs. (a)(2) and (a)(5) by changing the name of the “Office of State Capitol Security” to the “Office of State Capitol Police”.

Cited. 228 C. 907; 232 C. 345; 242 C. 211.

Subsec. (a):

Subdiv. (2)(E): Section held constitutional; judgment of Appellate Court in 32 CA 656 reversed in part pertaining to section. 232 C. 345.

Subdiv (2)(E): Section void for overbreadth; overbreadth and vagueness discussed. 32 CA 656; judgment reversed in part, see 232 C. 345. Subdiv. (2)(C): Does not involve protected speech; overbreadth and vagueness discussed. Id.