G:\M\16\SWALWE\SWALWE_011.XML 115S2967IS ..................................................................... (Original Signature of Member) H. R. ll 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a penalty for assault against journalists, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. SWALWELL of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on llllllllllllll 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 Representa- 2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 4 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Journalist Protection 5 Act’’. 6 7 SEC. 2. ASSAULT AGAINST JOURNALISTS. (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 7 of title 18, United 8 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol9 lowing: g:\VHLC\030419\030419.125.xml March 4, 2019 (12:57 p.m.) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:57 Mar 04, 2019 Jkt 000000 (719943 1) PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 C:\USERS\HRBRAZ~1\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\7.0\GEN\C\SWALWE~1. G:\M\16\SWALWE\SWALWE_011.XML 2 1 ‘‘§ 120. Assault against journalists 2 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 3 ‘‘(1) BODILY SERIOUS BODILY IN- 4 JURY.—The 5 injury’ have the meanings given those terms in sec- 6 tion 1365(h). 7 ‘‘(2) 8 terms ‘bodily injury’ and ‘serious bodily JOURNALIST.—The term ‘journalist’ means an individual who— 9 ‘‘(A) is an employee, independent con- 10 tractor, or agent of an entity or service that 11 disseminates news or information— 12 ‘‘(i) by means of a newspaper, nonfic- 13 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 pro- 21 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 pro- g:\VHLC\030419\030419.125.xml March 4, 2019 (12:57 p.m.) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 INJURY; 12:57 Mar 04, 2019 Jkt 000000 (719943 1) PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 C:\USERS\HRBRAZ~1\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\7.0\GEN\C\SWALWE~1. G:\M\16\SWALWE\SWALWE_011.XML 3 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 gath- 7 ering, preparation, collection, photographing, record- 8 ing, writing, editing, reporting, or publishing con- 9 cerning a local, national, or international event or 10 other matter of public interest. 11 ‘‘(b) PROHIBITED CONDUCT.—Whoever, in or affect- 12 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 de- 21 scribed in this subsection is an act— 22 23 ‘‘(1) that causes bodily injury to an individual who is a journalist; 24 25 ‘‘(2) committed with knowledge or reason to know the individual is a journalist; and g:\VHLC\030419\030419.125.xml March 4, 2019 (12:57 p.m.) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:57 Mar 04, 2019 Jkt 000000 (719943 1) PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 C:\USERS\HRBRAZ~1\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\7.0\GEN\C\SWALWE~1. G:\M\16\SWALWE\SWALWE_011.XML 4 1 ‘‘(3) committed— 2 ‘‘(A) while the journalist is taking part in 3 newsgathering; or 4 ‘‘(B) with the intention of intimidating or 5 6 impeding newsgathering by the journalist. ‘‘(d) SERIOUS BODILY INJURY TO A JOURNALIST.— 7 An act described in this subsection is an act— 8 9 ‘‘(1) that causes serious bodily injury to an individual who is a journalist; 10 11 ‘‘(2) committed with knowledge or reason to 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.’’. g:\VHLC\030419\030419.125.xml March 4, 2019 (12:57 p.m.) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 12:57 Mar 04, 2019 Jkt 000000 (719943 1) PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 C:\USERS\HRBRAZ~1\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\7.0\GEN\C\SWALWE~1.