Title: Journalist Protection Act
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Journalist Protection Act
This bill amends the federal criminal code to establish new criminal offenses for intentional acts (or attempts to commit acts) that cause bodily injury to a journalist.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4935 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4935

To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a penalty for assault 
              against journalists, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 5, 2018

Mr. Swalwell of California (for himself, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Cicilline, Mrs. 
Napolitano, Ms. Norton, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Soto, 
Mr. Khanna, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Rush, Ms. Maxine Waters of California, and 
  Ms. Moore) 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 Representatives 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 following:
``Sec. 120. Assault against journalists
    ``(a) In General.--Whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign 
commerce, intentionally commits, or attempts to commit--
            ``(1) an act described in subsection (b) shall be fined 
        under this title or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both; 
        or
            ``(2) an act described in subsection (c) shall be fined 
        under this title or imprisoned not more than 6 years, or both.
    ``(b) Bodily Injury to a Journalist.--An act described in this 
subsection is an act that causes a bodily injury to an individual--
            ``(1) who is a journalist;
            ``(2) committed with knowledge or reason to know such 
        individual is a journalist; and
            ``(3) committed--
                    ``(A) while such journalist is taking part in 
                newsgathering; or
                    ``(B) with the intention of intimidating or 
                impeding newsgathering by such journalist.
    ``(c) Serious Bodily Injury to a Journalist.--An act described in 
this subsection is an act that causes a serious bodily injury to an 
individual--
            ``(1) who is a journalist;
            ``(2) committed with knowledge or reason to know such 
        individual is a journalist; and
            ``(3) committed--
                    ``(A) while such journalist is taking part in 
                newsgathering; or
                    ``(B) with the intention of intimidating or 
                impeding newsgathering by such journalist.
    ``(d) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Bodily injury.--The term `bodily injury' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 1365(h)(4) of this title.
            ``(2) Journalist.--The term `journalist' means an 
        individual who--
                    ``(A) is an employee, independent contractor, or 
                agent of an entity or service that disseminates news or 
                information--
                            ``(i) by means of a newspaper, nonfiction 
                        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 television broadcast, radio 
                        broadcast, multichannel video programming 
                        distributor (as such term is defined in section 
                        602(13) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
                        U.S.C. 522(13))), or motion picture for public 
                        showing; and
                    ``(B) with the primary intent to investigate events 
                or procure material in order to disseminate to the 
                public news or information concerning local, national, 
                or international events or other matters of public 
                interest, engages in newsgathering.
            ``(3) Newsgathering.--The term `newsgathering' means 
        engaging in the regular gathering, preparation, collection, 
        photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting, or 
        publishing concerning local, national, or international events 
        or other matters of public interest.
            ``(4) Serious bodily injury.--The term `serious bodily 
        injury' has the meaning given such term in section 1365(h)(3) 
        of this title.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 7 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``120. Assault against journalists.''.
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