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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 709 FILED ON: 1/11/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4018 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Tram T. Nguyen |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act protecting assault survivors. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Tram T. Nguyen18th Essex1/11/2025 1 of 1 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 709 FILED ON: 1/11/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4018 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Nguyen of Andover, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 4018) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Tram T. Nguyen relative to assault survivors. The Judiciary. |
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| 20 | 20 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 21 | 21 | | _______________ |
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| 22 | 22 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | An Act protecting assault survivors. |
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| 26 | 26 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 27 | 27 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | 1 Chapter 231 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 91B the |
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| 29 | 29 | | 2following section:- |
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| 30 | 30 | | 3 Section 91C. (a) A person shall not, in an action for slander or libel, be held liable in |
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| 31 | 31 | | 4damages for any communication made, without malice, regarding an incident in which they were |
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| 32 | 32 | | 5the victim of sexual assault, harassment or discrimination. |
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| 33 | 33 | | 6 (b) A prevailing defendant in any slander or libel action brought against that defendant |
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| 34 | 34 | | 7for making a communication to which subsection (a) applies shall be entitled to reasonable |
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| 35 | 35 | | 8attorney’s fees and costs, plus treble damages for any harm caused to them by the defamation |
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| 36 | 36 | | 9action against them, in addition to any other relief permitted by law. |
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| 37 | 37 | | 10 (c) This section shall only apply to an individual who has, or at any time had, a |
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| 38 | 38 | | 11reasonable basis to file a complaint of sexual assault, harassment or discrimination, whether or |
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| 39 | 39 | | 12not the complaint was actually filed. |
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