Washington, March 11 (NationPress) In a significant move, two prominent US senators have put forward a bipartisan bill aimed at curbing foreign governments and their affiliates from exploiting American courts to intimidate critics and dissidents through expensive legal proceedings.

Senators Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Bill Cassidy introduced the End Foreign Abuse of United States Courts Act, which seeks to tackle the misuse of strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as SLAPP suits, by foreign entities targeting individuals within the United States.

They highlighted that authoritarian regimes are increasingly employing legal strategies to stifle dissent overseas.

“We are witnessing a disturbing trend where foreign governments, notably the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and their proxies, are leveraging US courts to initiate a legal offensive against individuals exercising their First Amendment rights,” Shaheen explained.

“These SLAPP suits are designed solely to intimidate and silence those who dare to speak against their oppressors,” she continued.

The proposed legislation would create a new legal structure that empowers courts to swiftly dismiss lawsuits filed by foreign powers or their proxies when such cases seem aimed at suppressing political expression or activism.

As it stands, current US laws allow foreign parties to file such claims relatively easily, burdening critics and dissidents with extensive time and financial resources to defend themselves.

Shaheen emphasized that the goal of this legislation is to ensure that US courts are not misused as instruments of political coercion.

“American courts should not be functioning to support authoritarian regimes,” she stated. “Our bill aims to halt these malicious lawsuits and restore power to the people.”

The legislation introduces what lawmakers term a Foreign Sovereign Anti-SLAPP statute, which is intended to increase the legal burden on foreign government plaintiffs and expedite the dismissal of baseless cases.

Under the new proposal, defendants will have the opportunity to file a special motion to dismiss lawsuits initiated by foreign governments or their agents if the claims pertain to political speech or public involvement.

Courts will be mandated to dismiss such lawsuits if the plaintiff fails to provide a credible legal foundation for their claim or if no genuine issue of material fact exists.

The legislation will also pause other legal proceedings once a motion to dismiss is submitted and requires courts to make a determination on the motion within 90 days.

If the defendant wins, courts could grant attorney's fees and costs. Judges would also have the discretion to impose punitive damages if it is determined that the lawsuit was initiated to harass or to intentionally escalate litigation costs.

Moreover, the bill clarifies that foreign states will not be shielded from such penalties if they are found to have engaged in abusive litigation practices in US courts.

This proposed law would apply to lawsuits filed by governments of nations identified as foreign adversaries, along with individuals or entities significantly controlled by them, especially when such cases target protected speech or political activities.