RCFP urges Maryland lawmakers to pass anti-SLAPP bill

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is urging Maryland lawmakers to pass a bill that would allow courts to quickly dismiss frivolous lawsuits designed to chill speech about matters of public interest.

In a letter sent to state Senate leaders on Jan. 27, 2026, the Reporters Committee expressed strong support for Senate Bill 251, which would make it harder for powerful parties to intimidate or punish speech through strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as SLAPPs. The legislation, which largely mirrors the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, would strengthen Maryland’s existing anti-SLAPP law, which is relatively narrow, helping courts weed out SLAPP lawsuits quickly and economically.

“Unflinching journalism is essential to hold powerful public figures and officials to account,” the Reporters Committee’s letter argues. “Such vital news reporting depends upon journalists’ ability to identify, investigate, and report stories without fear that the subjects of their reporting will target them or their newsroom with costly, meritless litigation.”