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 Michi-
gan, 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Journalist Protection 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ASSAULT AGAINST JOURNALISTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 7 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘§ 120. Assault against journalists 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) BODILY
INJURY; SERIOUS
BODILY
IN-
JURY.—The terms ‘bodily injury’ and ‘serious bodily 
injury’ have the meanings given those terms in sec-
tion 1365(h). 
‘‘(2) 
JOURNALIST.—The 
term 
‘journalist’ 
means an individual who— 
‘‘(A) is an employee, independent con-
tractor, or agent of an entity or service that 
disseminates news or information— 
‘‘(i) by means of a newspaper, nonfic-
tion book, wire service, news agency, news 
website, mobile application or other news 
or information service (whether distributed 
digitally or otherwise), news program, 
magazine, or other periodical (whether in 
print, electronic, or other format); or 
‘‘(ii) through a television broadcast, 
radio broadcast, multichannel video pro-
gramming distributor (as defined in section 
602 of the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 522)), or motion picture for 
public showing; and 
‘‘(B) engages in newsgathering with the 
primary intent to investigate an event or pro-
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cure material in order to disseminate to the 
public news or information concerning a local, 
national, or international event or other matter 
of public interest. 
‘‘(3) 
NEWSGATHERING.—The 
term 
‘newsgathering’ means engaging in regular gath-
ering, preparation, collection, photographing, record-
ing, writing, editing, reporting, or publishing con-
cerning a local, national, or international event or 
other matter of public interest. 
‘‘(b) PROHIBITED CONDUCT.—Whoever, in or affect-
ing interstate or foreign commerce, intentionally commits, 
or attempts to commit— 
‘‘(1) an act described in subsection (c) shall be 
fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 
3 years, or both; or 
‘‘(2) an act described in subsection (d) shall be 
fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 
6 years, or both. 
‘‘(c) BODILY INJURY TO A JOURNALIST.—An act de-
scribed in this subsection is an act— 
‘‘(1) that causes bodily injury to an individual 
who is a journalist; 
‘‘(2) committed with knowledge or reason to 
know the individual is a journalist; and 
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