1. (a) It shall be unlawful for a person, except as otherwise authorized by District or federal law, alone or in concert with others, to willfully or recklessly interfere with access to or from a medical facility or to willfully or recklessly disrupt the normal functioning of such facility by:

   1. (1) Physically obstructing, impeding, or hindering the free passage of an individual seeking to enter or depart the facility or from the common areas of the real property upon which the facility is located;
   2. (2) Making noise that unreasonably disturbs the peace within the facility;
   3. (3) Trespassing on the facility or the common areas of the real property upon which the facility is located;
   4. (4) Telephoning the facility repeatedly to harass or threaten owners, agents, patients, and employees, or knowingly permitting any telephone under his or her control to be so used for the purpose of threatening owners, agents, patients, and employees; or
   5. (5) Threatening to inflict injury on the owners, agents, patients, employees, or property of the medical facility or knowingly permitting any telephone under his or her control to be used for such purpose.
2. (b) A person shall not act alone or in concert with others with the intent to prevent a health professional or his or her family from entering or leaving the health professional’s home.
3. (c) Subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall not be construed to prohibit any otherwise lawful picketing or assembly.
4. (d) Any person who violates subsections (a) or (b) of this section, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, imprisoned for not more than 180 days, or both.

History

July 29, 1892, 27 Stat. 322, ch. 320, § 11b

as added Sept. 20, 1996, D.C. Law 11-157, § 2, 43 DCR 3699

June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 214(c), 60 DCR 2064

Editor's Notes

Applicability of D.C. Law 19-317: Section 401 of D.C. Law 19-317 provided that the act shall apply only to offenses committed on or after June 11, 2013.

Delegation of Authority

Delegation of authority pursuant to the Health Services Planning and Certificate of Need Program Emergency Act of 1995, effective November 7, 1995 (D.C. Act 11-151), see Mayor’s Order 95-162, December 4, 1995.

Delegation of authority pursuant to D.C. Law 11-117, the “Interference with Medical Facilities and Health Professionals and Reestablishment of Health Services Planning and Certificate of Need Program Emergency Act of 1995”: See Mayor’s Order 95-112, August 18, 1995.

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 214(c) of the Criminal Fine Proportionality Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-45, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5400, 20 DCSTAT 1300).

For temporary establishment of a health services planning and certificate of need regulatory program in the District of Columbia, see § 2-22 of the Health Services Planning Program Legislative Review Emergency Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-345, August 8, 1996, 43 DCR 4517).

For temporary addition of section, see § 2 of the Interference with Medical Facilities and Health Professionals Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1996 (D.C. Act 11-306, July 26, 1996, 43 DCR 4205).

For temporary re-establishment of a health services planning and certificate of need regulatory program in the District of Columbia, see §§ 2 through 23 of the Health Services Planning and Certificate of Need Program Emergency Act of 1995 (D.C. Act 11-151, November 9, 1995, 42 DCR 6550).

Emergency Reestablishment of a Health Services Planning and Certificate of Need Regulatory Program: For temporary reestablishment of a Health Services Planning and Certificate of Need Regulatory Program in the District of Columbia, see § 201-221 of the Interference with Medical Facilities and Health Professionals and Reestablishment of Health Services Planning and Certificate of Need Program Emergency Act of 1995 (D.C. Act 11-117, July 25, 1995, 42 DCR 4044).

Temporary Legislation

Section 5(b) of D.C. Law 11-133 provided that the act shall expire on the 225th day of its having taken effect.

See §§ 2 and 3 of D.C. Law 11-133.

Section 301(b) of D.C. Law 11-75 provided that this act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.

Temporary amendment of Reestablishment of Health Services Planning and Certificate of Need Program: Sections 201 through 221 of D.C. Law 11-75 reestablished the Health Services Planning and Certificate of Need Program.

Effect of Amendments

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 substituted “not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01” for “not more than $1,000” in (d).

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 22-1114.2.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 16-801 and § 22-1314.01.