SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1728        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Robyn K. Kennedy

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to privileged communications in defamation actions.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1728        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act relative to privileged communications in defamation actions.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 278 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 35 the following sections:

Section 36. (a) A civil action cannot be maintained against any person, firm or corporation, for the publication of a fair and true report of  any  judicial  proceeding, legislative  proceeding or other official proceeding, or for any heading of the report which is  a  fair  and  true  headnote  of  the  statement published.

(b)  This  section shall not  apply  to a libel contained in any other matter added  by  any  person  concerned  in  the publication or  in the report of anything said or done at the time and place of such a proceeding which was not a part thereof.

(c) A communication made by an individual, without malice,  regarding  an  incident of sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination shall be deemed privileged.

(d) A prevailing defendant in any defamation  action  brought  against such defendant for making a communication that is privileged under subsection (a)  of  this  section shall be entitled to their reasonable attorney's fees and costs for successfully defending themselves in  such litigation, plus treble damages for any harm caused to them by the defamation action against them, in addition to punitive damages available or any other relief otherwise permitted by law.

(e) This section shall only apply to an individual that has, or at any  time had, a reasonable basis to file a complaint of sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination, whether the complaint is, or was,  filed or not.

(f) The following, as used in this chapter, unless the text otherwise requires or a different meaning is specifically required, shall mean—

"Communication," factual  information related to an incident of sexual assault, harassment, or discrimination experienced by the individual making  the  communication, including, but not limited to, any of the following: i) an act of sexual assault; ii) an act of sexual harassment; iii)  an  act  of  workplace  harassment  or discrimination, failure to prevent an act of workplace harassment or discrimination, aiding,  abetting,  inciting,  compelling, or coercing an act of workplace harassment or discrimination, or an act of retaliation against a person for reporting or opposing workplace harassment or discrimination; or iv) an act of harassment or discrimination, or an act  of  retaliation against  a  person  for  reporting  harassment or discrimination, by the owner of a housing accommodation.