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PRESS Act
3/12/2024, 9:27 PM
Summary of Bill S 2074
The bill specifically aims to make it a federal crime to intentionally cause bodily harm or threaten a journalist in order to intimidate or impede their work. It also seeks to provide additional resources and support for law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of violence against journalists.
Additionally, the PRESS Act includes provisions for training law enforcement officers on how to interact with members of the press during news events, in order to prevent misunderstandings or conflicts that could lead to violence. Overall, the goal of the PRESS Act is to ensure that journalists are able to do their jobs safely and without fear of retaliation or harm. This bill has received bipartisan support in Congress and is seen as an important step towards protecting the freedom of the press in the United States.
Congressional Summary of S 2074
Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act or the PRESS Act
This bill prohibits the federal government from compelling journalists and providers of telecommunications services (e.g., phone and internet companies) to disclose certain protected information, except in limited circumstances such as to prevent terrorism or imminent violence.
Specifically, the bill protects from disclosure any information identifying a source, as well as any records, contents of a communication, documents, or information obtained or created by journalists in the course of their work.
Further, the bill protects specified third parties, such as telecommunications carriers or social media companies, from being compelled to provide testimony or any document consisting of a record, information, or other communication that is stored by the third party on behalf of a journalist.
