The News/Media Alliance applauds Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Kevin Kiley (R-CA) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) for introducing the Free Speech Protection Act which would provide protections on the federal level from strategic lawsuits against public participation (“SLAPPs”) designed to chill free speech.
The bipartisan Free Speech Protection Act, introduced on Dec. 5 2024, allows a federal judge to quickly dismiss SLAPPs that target free speech and to award attorney fees to mitigate the burden on the defendant and deter future SLAPPs.
The procedural move helps protect journalists and the public from retaliatory lawsuits intended to intimidate the free exercise of their First Amendment rights. The bill addresses a significant gap in the law, as 34 states and the District of Columbia currently have anti-SLAPP laws, but no such law exists on the federal level.
Alliance President and CEO Danielle Coffey stated, “We are proud to support this important measure to promote free speech and protect the free press against SLAPP lawsuits that are designed to prevent an individual or organization from exercising their First Amendment rights, and we applaud Rep. Raskin, Rep. Kiley and Senator Wyden for their leadership in championing these essential liberties.”
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