119-hr3203

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3203 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3203

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

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 5, 2025

 Mr. Swalwell (for himself and Ms. Norton) 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) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Bodily injury; serious bodily injury.--The terms 
 `bodily injury' and `serious bodily injury' have the meanings 
 given those terms in 

section 1365

    (h) .
 ``

    (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 a television broadcast, 
 radio broadcast, multichannel video programming 
 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 procure 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 gathering, preparation, collection, 
 photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting, or 
 publishing concerning a local, national, or international event 
 or other matter of public interest.
 ``

    (b) Prohibited Conduct.--Whoever, in or affecting 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 described 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
 ``

    (3) committed--
 ``
        (A) while the journalist is taking part in 
 newsgathering; or
 ``
        (B) with the intention of intimidating or 
 impeding newsgathering by the journalist.
 ``
            (d) Serious Bodily Injury to a Journalist.--An act described in 
this subsection is an act--
 ``

    (1) that causes serious bodily injury to an individual 
 who is a journalist;
 ``

    (2) committed with knowledge or reason to know the 
 individual is a journalist; and
 ``

    (3) committed--
 ``
        (A) while the journalist is taking part in 
 newsgathering; or
 ``
        (B) with the intention of intimidating or 
 impeding newsgathering by the journalist.''.

    (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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