We need a federal anti-SLAPP law

Action

Politico/Francis Chung via AP Photo

Tell Congress we need a federal anti-SLAPP law

Frivolous strategic lawsuits against public participation allow politicians, billionaires, and bullies to harass their critics through lawfare. Most states have legislation that allows SLAPP cases to be swiftly dismissed and victims to recover attorneys fees, but the federal government still does not have a similar law. That needs to change.

Action 1 // takes 1 minute

Write your members of Congress

First Name *

Last Name

Email Address *

Street Address *

Zip Code * Enter a five digit US ZIP code

Edit this message so that it is unique to you:

Dear Senator/Representative,

As your constituent, I urge you to support federal anti-SLAPP legislation to put a stop to lawfare by politicians, billionaires, and bullies who file frivolous lawsuits to suppress speech.

These lawsuits aren’t about winning but about intimidation — the objective is to make journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens think twice before questioning the powerful by forcing them to incur often-crippling legal fees, as well as the wasted time and anxiety that come with defending a lawsuit.

Forty states and the District of Columbia have anti-SLAPP laws, which typically allow for swift dismissals and expedited appeals, and for victims of SLAPPs to recover their attorneys fees. But the federal government does not have similar legislation, and most federal courts will not enforce the anti-SLAPP laws enacted by the states in which they reside. That means SLAPPsters can evade accountability through forum shopping.

Sen. Ron Wyden and Reps. Kevin Kiley and Jamie Raskin introduced the bipartisan Free Speech Protection Act in 2024 to solve this problem, but unfortunately it did not advance. Since then, federal SLAPPs have continued to be used to harass well-meaning Americans attempting to report on or participate in government, deterring public participation.

I urge you to vocally support that bill or similar federal anti-SLAPP legislation the next time it is introduced.

URLs are not allowed in this message.

* Required. We will not share your information with third parties. Learn more

Something went wrong processing this request. Please try again later.

Opt in to email updates from Freedom of the Press Foundation

Something went wrong and your email updates subscription could not be processed. Please visit our signup page and try again.

Thank you for urging your lawmakers to pass a federal anti-SLAPP law

Donate

Share this message on social media:

Join me in urging Congress to pass a federal law against anti-speech strategic lawsuits against public participation.

Write your members of Congress

You completed all actions for this issue.

Sign Up. Take Action.