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Senate Judiciary keeps current defamation timelines but extends coverage to electronic media
Summary
The committee adopted an amendment to House Bill 3564A to add electronic media to Oregon’s defamation statutes while retaining existing timeframes; the chair said an interim work group will review timeframes in 2026.
The Senate Committee on Judiciary on May 20 adopted the A4 amendment to House Bill 3564A, updating Oregon’s defamation statutes to include electronic media while maintaining current timelines for demanding and issuing retractions or corrections.
Committee staff summarized changes in the bill, including extending the time window in some posted amendments from 20 to 40 days and directing publishers to investigate retraction demands within set timeframes. The A4 amendment that the committee adopted specifically updates statutes to cover electronic newspapers, magazines and periodicals by requiring an electronic publisher to place a link to a retraction or correction on any webpage containing or previously containing the defamatory statement.
Senator Thatcher, who spoke for the committee, told the sponsor, Representative Harvick, that the committee plans to convene an interim work group to review timeframes and other details and possibly return with modifications in 2026. “We will be having some type of report group that will be to bring in all the stakeholders to discuss modifications,” Thatcher said.
The committee voted to move the amended bill to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation; the chair said the committee will carry the bill to the floor.
