Mexico’s Senate has passed constitutional amendments that would make attacks on journalists a federal crime, meaning they would have to be investigated by the Attorney General’s office. The amendments were previously endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies, the country’s lower legislative chamber. However, the changes will only take effect after they are approved by at least 17 of the country’s 31 state legislatures, and are then signed by the president. Mexico’s national human rights commission says 74 journalists were killed between 2000 and 2011.