Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sexual Assault Defamation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House passes bill shielding survivors from retaliatory defamation suits and allowing fee awards
Summary
The House passed Senate Bill 180, a measure intended to protect survivors of sexual assault from retaliatory defamation lawsuits by giving qualified privilege to good-faith disclosures and allowing survivors to recover fees if they prevail; sponsors cited California’s Speak Your Truth Act as a model.
The Oregon House on Tuesday passed Senate Bill 180, a measure designed to reduce the risk that survivors of sexual assault will be silenced by retaliatory defamation lawsuits.
Representative Mannix, who brought the bill to the floor, said the legislation protects survivors who disclose abuse “in good faith” by making those communications privileged against defamation suits while preserving remedies for people who can show statements were made with malice.
“These lawsuits don't seek truth — they seek silence,” Mannix said, calling the suits “a legal tool veiled only to the wealthy used to intimidate and punish survivors.” Mannix also noted Professor Victoria Burke of Southwestern Law School, who visited the House earlier and helped draft similar legislation in California.
Mannix said the bill allows survivors who prevail to recover legal fees, helping ensure access to counsel for people without substantial resources. The sponsor and committee records cited the California “Speak Your Truth” law as an earlier model enacted in 2023.
The House voted to pass SB 180; the clerk announced the bill “having received the constitution majority is declared passed.” Proponents described the bill as balancing survivors’ ability to speak with protections for those falsely accused, and sponsors said it would not prevent legitimate claims that can show malice.
