Wyoming Lawmakers Propose Anti-SLAPP Legislation
A new bill aims to shield free speech by allowing for the dismissal of civil lawsuits used to silence critics.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Legislative Policy
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Wyoming lawmakers are working to introduce a bill that would prevent strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as anti-SLAPP. The proposed measure aims to protect free speech by allowing courts to dismiss complaints intended to silence critics through high costs.
Why it matters
Lawmakers are pursuing the legislation to prevent civil lawsuits from being used as tools to suppress public criticism. Similar efforts to pass anti-SLAPP statutes in Wyoming have failed over the past two years.
The draft bill is based on the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act and includes a specific exemption for complaints related to the sale or lease of goods or services. Wyoming is currently one of the few states that lacks an anti-SLAPP statute.
The players
Joint Judiciary Committee
This is a legislative body in Wyoming responsible for reviewing legal drafts and proposed statutory changes before they proceed to the full legislature.
Uniform Law Commission
This organization works to draft and propose model legislation for state governments to ensure consistency in laws across the United States.
The details
The Joint Judiciary Committee recently reviewed the draft, which provides a procedural mechanism to dismiss civil litigation designed to harass or bankrupt speakers. By modeling the bill after the Uniform Law Commission's framework, proponents hope to provide a legal shield for protected speech.
Timeline
Lawmakers sponsored the anti-SLAPP bill on Monday.
The full legislature will consider the proposed bill in January 2027.
Political Context
The proposed Wyoming bill is a direct implementation of the model law established by the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act. Opponents of similar measures often argue that such laws could inadvertently limit the ability of private citizens or businesses to seek legitimate legal recourse for defamation or trade libel.
If enacted, this legislation would provide residents and local businesses a more efficient legal path to dismiss frivolous lawsuits aimed at silencing them. The bill creates a direct mechanism to avoid the high costs often associated with defending against lawsuits intended to suppress free expression.
The takeaway
The proposed law offers a potential new protection for citizens to speak freely without the threat of costly retaliatory litigation. Residents should monitor the upcoming legislative session to see if the bill finally gains enough support to become state law.
What happens next
The full Wyoming legislature is scheduled to consider the proposed anti-SLAPP bill during the January 2027 legislative session.
Further reading
For more on state law updates, visit the Legislative Policy section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WyoFile.
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