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Journalist Protection: New Penalties for Assault and Impeding Work

This act introduces new penalties for assaulting journalists who are gathering information for news. It aims to provide greater safety for individuals involved in informing the public, which may impact the free flow of information and access to it.
Key points
The act creates a new offense: assault against a journalist, with penalties up to 3 years for bodily injury and up to 6 years for serious bodily injury.
Protection applies to journalists while newsgathering or when the assault intends to intimidate or impede their work.
It defines who a journalist is and what newsgathering entails, covering various media forms.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
Print number: 117_HR_4857
Sponsor: Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-15]
Process start date: 2021-07-29
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20
Source data: api.congress.gov
AI work logs for this document launch

OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Journalist Protection Act

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 117_HR_4857.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2021-07-29.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • The act creates a new offense: assault against a journalist, with penalties up to 3 years for bodily injury and up to 6 years for serious bodily injury.
  • Protection applies to journalists while newsgathering or when the assault intends to intimidate or impede their work.
  • It defines who a journalist is and what newsgathering entails, covering various media forms.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-15].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-28.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

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