Full Breakdown
Speak Your Truth Act Aims to Shield Survivors from Defamation Suits
By Drooid · · How we work
Legislative Proposal
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced the Speak Your Truth Act, a bill that would require a plaintiff who loses a qualifying defamation or libel case in federal court to pay the defendant’s reasonable attorney fees and costs. The proposal applies to factual statements made without malice about sexual assault, sexual harassment or discrimination that the speaker personally experienced, including workplace harassment, retaliation for reporting discrimination, and housing-related harassment or discrimination. The bill covers cases filed in federal court or transferred there from state court and would take effect only after congressional approval.
Support and Rationale
Advocates argue that retaliatory defamation lawsuits deter survivors from speaking out. Victoria Burke, a professor at Southwestern Law School and an advocate against such suits, notes that similar survivor-protective statutes have already been enacted in five states with bipartisan backing. She cites the bipartisan vote to release the Epstein files as evidence that survivors still fear legal retaliation even when lawmakers demonstrate cooperation on related transparency issues.
Key Figures
- Nancy Mace – U.S. Representative from South Carolina, sponsor of the Speak Your Truth Act.
- Victoria Burke – Professor of law at Southwestern Law School, longtime advocate for survivor-focused defamation reforms.
Official Statements & Responses
Mace’s office emphasizes that defending a defamation suit can cost “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” forcing many survivors to remain silent. The legislation is framed as a way to shift the financial burden of a failed suit onto the plaintiff, thereby “changing the math” of legal intimidation.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Survivors should never have to choose between their voice and their bank account,” — Congresswoman Mace
- “Every survivor deserves the freedom to speak their truth,” — Victoria Burke, professor
