Which states introduced bills referencing sharia or foreign law after 2020 and what were their bill numbers?
Executive summary
Available sources show that several state legislatures continued to consider bills referencing “Sharia” or “foreign law” after 2020, often using model language from American Laws for American Courts; tracking databases and investigative reporting name specific post‑2020 introductions (for example, a Montana Senate bill LC 4282 in 2023) and note continued activity in 2024–2025 [1] [2]. National reporting and advocacy groups say the new wave of bills in 2024–25 echoes the copy‑cat campaign of the 2010s and has shifted toward both state and federal measures [2] [3].
1. After 2020 the campaign didn’t end — it evolved
Researchers and reporting document that the anti‑Sharia and “anti‑foreign law” campaign that peaked around 2010 has not disappeared; rather, it resurfaced in new forms after 2020 with state bills that use the same model templates and with new federal proposals. The Center for Public Integrity traced how a single network and model texts (American Laws for American Courts) produced waves of copy‑cat bills; that pattern continued into the 2020s as state lawmakers introduced bills preventing courts from applying foreign laws they say conflict with constitutional rights [2].
2. States with post‑2020 entries — what the databases say (selected examples)
The Othering & Belonging Institute’s legislative map explicitly records state activity after 2020 and notes there were no new anti‑Sharia bills in 2023 overall but does flag a Montana Senate bill (LC 4282) from that year described as “Prohibit application of foreign law if violation of constitutional rights” [1]. Investigative coverage and advocacy trackers report additional post‑2020 introductions across statehouses, but specific bill numbers beyond the Montana reference are not enumerated in the provided sources [1] [2]. Available sources do not mention a comprehensive list of every state and bill number introduced after 2020.
3. Why bill text often references “foreign law” rather than naming Sharia
Advocates of the model legislation routinely use neutral phrasing — banning the application of any “foreign law, legal code or system” that violates constitutional rights — while critics say the intent is to single out Islamic law; the Center for Public Integrity shows the model law avoids naming Islam even as backers invoke Sharia publicly [2]. This dual strategy makes it harder to classify some measures solely as “anti‑Sharia” in name, even when implementation or rhetoric targets Muslim communities [2].
4. Three illustrative developments in 2024–25: state and federal layers
Reporting and organization briefings document both state efforts and renewed federal proposals in 2025 that echo the earlier playbook. The Othering & Belonging map documents state‑level introductions and flags Montana’s 2023 bill (LC 4282) [1]. Separately, national actors reintroduced congressional measures in 2025 — for example, H.R.5722 and Senate companion bills styled “Preserving a Sharia‑Free America Act” and “No Sharia Act” — signaling parallel federal interest in the issue [4] [5] [6]. These federal bills explicitly name Sharia and would alter immigration or enforceability rules [7] [6].
5. Legal and political context: courts, civil‑rights responses, and motives
Courts have struck down or blocked earlier statewide anti‑Sharia measures (the Tenth Circuit and other rulings are referenced in historical coverage), and civil‑rights groups caution that new bills recycle discredited approaches that courts found discriminatory [8] [3]. Advocacy groups such as CAIR and academic observers frame much of the drive as political messaging aimed at mobilizing constituencies ahead of elections; the Othering & Belonging Institute highlights increases in anti‑Muslim bills in years before midterms and presidential cycles [1] [2].
6. What sources do and do not provide — limits of the public record here
Available sources confirm specific post‑2020 items (Montana LC 4282; renewed federal bills in 2025) and document the campaign’s networks and templates [1] [2] [6]. But the assembled materials do not provide a complete, state‑by‑state list with bill numbers for every post‑2020 introduction. For a definitive catalogue of each state and bill number after 2020 you must consult primary state legislative databases or the continuously updated maps at organizations like Othering & Belonging — sources cited here that maintain that granular tracking [1].
7. Bottom line for researchers and readers
If your goal is a precise inventory of all states and bill numbers since 2020, the cited trackers (Othering & Belonging) and investigative work (Center for Public Integrity) are the right starting points; they show the campaign persisted after 2020 and rename or reframe bills as “foreign‑law” measures even when the implied target is Sharia [1] [2]. Available sources do not list every post‑2020 bill number across states in one place; compiling that requires cross‑checking individual state legislative records against the databases above [1].
Sources: Othering & Belonging Institute legislative map and commentary [1]; Center for Public Integrity investigation of the ALAC model and state copy‑cat bills [2]; GovTrack and Congress bill pages for federal reintroductions [4] [5]; congressional bill text and library entries for 2025 federal bills [6] [7].