DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. – A bill aimed at strengthening First Amendment rights in Pennsylvania has passed the Senate and is now headed to the House.
“This bill has been a long time coming,” said Representative Ryan Bizzarro, the main sponsor of H.B. 1466. “I proposed a similar bill in 2017, based on a Senate bill introduced by former Senator Farnese in 2013. We’ve had extensive discussions over the years, and I’m pleased we finally achieved bipartisan support.”
Bizzarro told abc27 that the bill will protect Pennsylvanians’ freedom of speech and shield them from frivolous lawsuits.
“This legislation was prompted by an incident in Philadelphia where a nonprofit was bankrupted by a developer simply for advocating for the community. The developer took them to court, leading to costly legal battles that forced the nonprofit to close,” Bizzarro explained. “This bill will prevent such situations.”
Bizzarro added that the Pennsylvania ACLU supports the bill.
“It’s rare to see the Pennsylvania ACLU and Americans for Prosperity on the same side,” Bizzarro noted. The Executive Director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania stated in a press release, “[House Bill] 1466 will prevent powerful individuals and entities from using the courts to silence criticism. That’s a win for every Pennsylvanian.”
The bill now awaits the Governor’s signature.