Texas Gov. Greg Abbott showed support for free speech and the rights of whistleblowers by signing Texas Senate Bill 627, codifying a defense for the news media’s accurate reporting on third-party allegations.
The defense had been common law in Texas for 25 years but was called into question in a recent Texas Supreme Court ruling, according to Haynes and Boone LLP.
The firm lobbied for the bill on behalf of the Texas Press Association, the Texas Association of Broadcasters, and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas.
The enactment of Texas S.B. 627 allows the media to conduct investigative reporting without fear of reprisal if an allegation later turns out to be false, according to Haynes and Boone partner Laura Lee Prather.
