Bill > H1431

This bill aims to strengthen the Commonwealth's Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) law. It amends Section 59H of Chapter 231 of the General Laws to ensure full participation by citizens and organizations in discussions of issues regarding the right to freedom of petition, speech, and expression or any matter of public concern. The bill establishes a special motion to dismiss that the court must consider expeditiously, and it awards costs and attorneys' fees to the moving party if the motion is granted. The language regarding "freedom of petition, the freedom of speech, the freedom of expression" is defined as those rights under the U.S. and Massachusetts Constitutions, and "any matter of public concern" is broadly defined to include any written or verbal statement related to a good, product, or service in the marketplace or otherwise offered to the public.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H1431