(10) The United States, as a force for good in 
this world, must defend and protect those who are 
committed to raising awareness of the casualties of 
war, humanitarian crises, human rights abuses, and 
corruption around the world. 
(11) The United States must preserve and build 
upon the leadership of the United States on issues 
relating to freedom of the press, on the basis of the 
protections afforded the American people under the 
First Amendment. 
(12) The United States must conduct prompt 
and effective investigations into all non-natural 
deaths of journalists and representative of the news 
media in a foreign nation, who are United States 
citizens or working on behalf of a United States- 
based news media entity. 
(13) The United States must improve the rapid 
identification, publication, and response by the 
United States Government to threats against free-
dom of the press around the world, no matter a for-
eign nation’s status as ally or adversary. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘journalist’’— 
(A) means an individual who— 
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(i) actively gathers information about 
current events or events that would be of 
current interest to a segment of the public; 
(ii) uses its editorial skills to turn the 
raw materials into a distinct work; and 
(iii) distributes that work to an audi-
ence; and 
(B) includes— 
(i) individuals working for a television 
or radio station that broadcasts the news 
who do not appear on-air; 
(ii) individuals who work on a free-
lance basis who demonstrate a solid basis 
for expecting publication through a news 
media entity, based on publication record 
or an existing contract; and 
(iii) individuals who work on docu-
mentaries who demonstrate a solid basis 
for expecting publication or broadcast, 
based on their history or an existing con-
tract or grant. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered journalist’’ means a 
journalist who— 
(A)(i) is a national of the United States; or 
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(ii) is not a national of the United States 
and works for a news media entity based in the 
United States; 
(B) suffers a non-natural death in a for-
eign country; and 
(C) is working as a journalist in the for-
eign country at the time of their death. 
(3) The term ‘‘death’’ includes, with respect to 
an individual, being declared dead after having been 
missing for the requisite number of years applicable 
law. 
(4) The term ‘‘news media entity’’ means an 
entity engaged in disseminating information to the 
general public through a newspaper, magazine, other 
publication, radio, television, cable television, or 
other medium of mass communication, and includes 
publishers of periodicals and publishers of documen-
taries. 
SEC. 4. INVESTIGATIONS OF NON-NATURAL DEATHS OF 
JOURNALISTS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 
(a) INVESTIGATION REQUIREMENT.—The Director of 
the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall conduct an 
international criminal investigation on each non-natural 
death of a covered journalist in accordance with the pro-
tocol established under subsection (b). 
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(b) PROTOCOL.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation, in coordination with the Sec-
retary of State, and in consultation with the Director of 
National Intelligence, the Secretary of Defense, and the 
head of other relevant Federal agencies, shall develop a 
multi-agency investigative team protocol that includes de-
fined responsibilities for each Federal agency involved, 
to— 
(1) identify non-natural deaths of covered jour-
nalists in foreign countries; 
(2) conduct prompt and effective, investigations 
of all such deaths, using the full investigative and 
forensic capabilities of the United States; and 
(3) aggressively prosecute perpetrators who 
may be subject to criminal liability under Inter-
national or Federal law. 
(c) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—The Director of the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation shall submit to Congress 
reports, in accordance with this subsection, to ensure that 
Congress is informed about specific investigations, as well 
as trends of non-natural deaths of covered journalists in 
countries with a history of targeting journalists. 
(1) SPECIFIC
INDIVIDUAL
INVESTIGATION.— 
For each non-natural death of a covered journalist 
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the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation 
shall provide to Congress the following reports: 
(A) An initial report at the beginning of 
the investigation containing basic information 
about the covered journalist, which shall include 
the name of the person, their country of citizen-
ship, the name of the news media entity for 
which the covered journalist was working at the 
time of their death, the country in which such 
news media entity is based, the location of the 
covered journalist at time of their death, nature 
of their death (if known), and the name and 
contact information for the lead investigator at 
the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 
(B) An interim report that includes all ele-
ments of the investigation and information 
about each person of interest in the investiga-
tion. 
(C) A final report, which shall include all 
elements of the investigation, and the following: 
(i) An identification of each person 
that carried out, participated in, or was 
otherwise complicit in, or responsible for 
the non-natural death of the covered jour-
nalist. 
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(ii) A recommendation on how to hold 
each person identified under clause (i) ac-
countable. 
(iii) An identification of the possible 
use of defense articles provided by the 
United States in connection with a non- 
natural death of a covered journalist. 
(2) ANNUAL REPORTING.—Not later than 30 
days after the first end of a fiscal year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and annually there-
after, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Inves-
tigation shall submit to Congress a report that in-
cludes— 
(A) the status of individual investigations 
of non-natural deaths of covered journalists 
opened, ongoing, or closed during the reporting 
period, including, for each investigation— 
(i) the status, including the number of 
days for which each investigation has been 
or was open; 
(ii) the location of the covered jour-
nalist at time of their death; 
(iii) the nature of death of the covered 
journalist (if known); 
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(iv) whether each person responsible 
for the death has been identified; and 
(v) whether the recommendation de-
scribed in paragraph (1)(C)(ii) was imple-
mented; 
(B) for each investigation described in sub-
paragraph (A), the interim report described in 
paragraph (1)(B) or the final report described 
in paragraph (1)(C), as appropriate; and 
(C) an analysis of whether the non-natural 
death of a covered journalist in a foreign coun-
try is a part of a larger trend of that country 
involving— 
(i) a history of corruption or human 
rights violations; 
(ii) intimidation or violence towards 
journalists; or 
(iii) the general attitude of that coun-
try towards the United States. 
(3) FORM.—The reports required under para-
graphs (1) and (2) shall be submitted in unclassified 
form and, at the time of submission to Congress, 
shall be made publicly available on the website of the 
Department of Justice. The reports required under 
paragraph (1) shall be made publicly available on 
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the appropriate Department of State country 
website. 
Æ 
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