# 119-s-1601: Journalist Protection Act

119-s-1601, Journalist Protection Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT); status introduced (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1601
- As of: 2026-08-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1601
- Congress: 119
- Title: Journalist Protection Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-05-05
- Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**Creates a federal offense for assaults against journalists.** This bill would make it a crime to cause bodily injury or serious bodily injury to someone who meets its definition of a journalist, with stiffer penalties when the harm is serious or when the attack is meant to intimidate or impede reporting. - Journalists and news gatherers: People who meet the bill's two-part definition of journalist gain federal protection while engaged in newsgathering or if targeted to stop reporting. The definition covers employees, contractors, or agents of news outlets and those gathering material for public dissemination. - Attackers and defendants: Causing bodily injury to a journalist would be punishable by a fine or up to 3 years in prison. Causing serious bodily injury would be punishable by a fine or up to 6 years in prison. - Federal prosecutors and jurisdiction: The offense applies only to acts in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce and is added as Section 120 of chapter 7, giving federal authorities a specific statute to use when that commerce link exists.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-05-05T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New federal protections for journalists: benefit, medium. This bill would create new federal crimes for attacking journalists. It would make causing bodily injury to a journalist a federal offense punishable by a fine or up to 3 years in prison. It would make causing serious bodily injury to a journalist a federal offense punishable by a fine or up to 6 y…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026
- 119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act
- 119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act
- 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act
- 119-s-5238: For Our Republic Act

## Sources
- [119-s-1601 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1601)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5071)
- [119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2838)
- [119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2819)
- [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283)
- [119-s-5238: For Our Republic Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5238)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1601 (as of 2026-08-11).