Senate Bill S1789

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to strategic lawsuits against public participation and makes technical corrections

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

Do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.
Actions
Votes

2023-S1789 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A7288
Current Committee:
Senate Rules
Law Section:
Civil Rights Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§70-a, 76-a & 71, Civ Rts L; amd §4, Chap 250 of 2020
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:
S9239

2023-S1789 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to strategic lawsuits against public participation; makes technical corrections; relates to the applicability of chapter 250 of the laws of 2020 amending the civil rights law relating to actions involving public petition and participation.

2023-S1789 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S1789 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1789
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- read twice and ordered printed, and
   when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
 
 AN ACT to amend the civil rights law, in relation to strategic  lawsuits
   against public participation and to make technical corrections; and to
   amend  chapter  250  of the laws of 2020 amending the civil rights law
   relating to actions involving public petition  and  participation,  in
   relation to the application thereof
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 70-a of the civil rights law, as added  by  chapter
 767  of  the  laws of 1992, paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 as amended by
 chapter 250 of the laws of 2020, is amended to read as follows:
   § 70-a. Actions involving public petition and participation;  recovery
 of damages. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
   (A)  A  "STRATEGIC  LAWSUIT  AGAINST  PUBLIC PARTICIPATION" OR "SLAPP"
 MEANS A LEGAL CLAIM COMMENCED OR CONTINUED AGAINST AN INDIVIDUAL  OR  AN
 ORGANIZATION  ARISING OUT OF THAT PARTY'S EXERCISE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL
 RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH ABOUT AN ISSUE OF  PUBLIC  CONCERN  AND  LACKING  A
 SUBSTANTIAL BASIS IN FACT AND/OR LAW.
   (B)  "SUBSTANTIAL  BASIS"  MEANS A HEIGHTENED PLEADING BURDEN, GREATER
 THAN THAT OF PLAUSIBILITY, COGNIZABILITY, OR REASONABLENESS, AND REQUIR-
 ING A DEMONSTRATION OF A PROBABILITY OF PREVAILING ON THE CLAIM.
   2. A PREVAILING defendant in an action involving public  petition  and
 participation, as defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section
 seventy-six-a of this article, may [maintain] ASSERT A SUBSTANTIVE CAUSE
 OF  ACTION  AGAINST  THE  PLAINTIFF  IN THE UNDERLYING LITIGATION.   THE
 PREVAILING DEFENDANT MAY FILE an action, claim, cross claim or  counter-
 claim to recover damages, including costs and attorney's fees, from [any
 person  who  commenced  or  continued  such  action]  A SLAPP PLAINTIFF;
 provided that:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05016-01-3
 S. 1789                             2
              

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.