HCSHBs1389&1040--ADMISSIBILITYOFADEFENDANT'SCREATIVE
EXPRESSION
SPONSOR: Keathley
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonEmergingIssuesbyavoteof11to1.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstitutefor
HBs1389&1040.
Thisbillestablishesthe"RestoringArtisticProtectionActof
2025",whichspecifiesthat,subjecttoexceptionsprovidedinthe
bill,evidenceofadefendant's"creativeorartisticexpression",
asdefinedinthebill,whetheroriginalorderivative,isnot
admissibleagainstthedefendantinacriminalcaseexceptunder
certaincircumstances.
Ifthecourtadmitsanysuchevidence,thecourtmustensurethat
theexpressionisredactedinamannertolimittheevidence
presentedtothejuryandthecourtmustprovideappropriate
limitinginstructionstothejury.
ThisbillisthesameasHB1040(2025)andsimilartoHB353
(2023).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatincriminallaw,thecourtdoes
notallowpriorconductofanindividualtobeadmittedasevidence
againstsomeone. Similarly,justbecauseapoetorsongwriter
draftsapoemorsongaboutdeathormurder,thatdoesnotinand
ofitselfmeanthattheauthoristhereforemorelikelytohave
committedsomespecificcrime.Supportersfurthersaythatthis
billwillprotectartist'sfreedomofspeech.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Keathley;
ArnieC.Dienoff;PhilWalotsky,FreeOurArt;andRonGubitz,
MusicArtistsCoalition.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.