I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1684 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a penalty for assault 

against journalists, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 12, 2019 

Mr. SWALWELL of California (for himself, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. 

JOHNSON of Georgia, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Ms. MOORE, Ms. NORTON, Mr. RUSH, Mr. SOTO, and Ms. 

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a penalty 

for assault against journalists, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Journalist Protection 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ASSAULT AGAINST JOURNALISTS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 7 of title 18, United 

8 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol9 lowing: 


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1 ‘‘§ 120. Assault against journalists 

2 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

3 ‘‘(1) BODILY INJURY; SERIOUS BODILY IN4 JURY.—The terms ‘bodily injury’ and ‘serious bodily 

5 injury’ have the meanings given those terms in sec6 tion 1365(h). 

7 ‘‘(2) JOURNALIST.—The term ‘journalist’ 

8 means an individual who— 

9 ‘‘(A) is an employee, independent con10 tractor, or agent of an entity or service that 

11 disseminates news or information— 

12 ‘‘(i) by means of a newspaper, nonfic13 tion book, wire service, news agency, news 

14 website, mobile application or other news 

15 or information service (whether distributed 

16 digitally or otherwise), news program, 

17 magazine, or other periodical (whether in 

18 print, electronic, or other format); or 

19 ‘‘(ii) through a television broadcast, 

20 radio broadcast, multichannel video pro21 gramming distributor (as defined in section 

22 602 of the Communications Act of 1934 

23 (47 U.S.C. 522)), or motion picture for 

24 public showing; and 

25 ‘‘(B) engages in newsgathering with the 

26 primary intent to investigate an event or proVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:48 Mar 26, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1684.IH H1684

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1 cure material in order to disseminate to the 

2 public news or information concerning a local, 

3 national, or international event or other matter 

4 of public interest. 

5 ‘‘(3) NEWSGATHERING.—The term 

6 ‘newsgathering’ means engaging in regular gath7 ering, preparation, collection, photographing, record8 ing, writing, editing, reporting, or publishing con9 cerning a local, national, or international event or 

10 other matter of public interest. 

11 ‘‘(b) PROHIBITED CONDUCT.—Whoever, in or affect12 ing interstate or foreign commerce, intentionally commits, 

13 or attempts to commit— 

14 ‘‘(1) an act described in subsection (c) shall be 

15 fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 

16 3 years, or both; or 

17 ‘‘(2) an act described in subsection (d) shall be 

18 fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 

19 6 years, or both. 

20 ‘‘(c) BODILY INJURY TO A JOURNALIST.—An act de21 scribed in this subsection is an act— 

22 ‘‘(1) that causes bodily injury to an individual 

23 who is a journalist; 

24 ‘‘(2) committed with knowledge or reason to 

25 know the individual is a journalist; and 


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1 ‘‘(3) committed— 

2 ‘‘(A) while the journalist is taking part in 

3 newsgathering; or 

4 ‘‘(B) with the intention of intimidating or 

5 impeding newsgathering by the journalist. 

6 ‘‘(d) SERIOUS BODILY INJURY TO A JOURNALIST.— 

7 An act described in this subsection is an act— 

8 ‘‘(1) that causes serious bodily injury to an in9 dividual who is a journalist; 

10 ‘‘(2) committed with knowledge or reason to 

11 know the individual is a journalist; and 

12 ‘‘(3) committed— 

13 ‘‘(A) while the journalist is taking part in 

14 newsgathering; or 

15 ‘‘(B) with the intention of intimidating or 

16 impeding newsgathering by the journalist.’’. 

17 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

18 for chapter 7 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 

19 by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘120. Assault against journalists.’’. 

Æ 


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