PRINTER'S NO. 1143
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
834
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY FARNESE, COSTA, COLLETT, SCHWANK AND BROWNE,
AUGUST 26, 2019
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, AUGUST 26, 2019
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in assault, providing for the offense
of assault on media professional.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
ยง 2712.1. Assault on media professional.
(a) Offense defined.--A person who violates section 2701
(relating to simple assault), where the victim is a media
professional who was assaulted while engaged in performance of
their professional duty, is guilty of assault on a media
professional.
(b) Grading.--Assault on a media professional is a
misdemeanor of the first degree.
(c) Definition.--As used in this section, the term "media
professional" means an officer, agent, purveyor or employee of a
news media organization engaged in news gathering or
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dissemination of information in a daily or weekly newspaper,
magazine, periodical, book, digital publication or radio or
television news broadcast.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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