A bill for an act relating to malicious prosecution arising from civil actions between private parties.

SF 2157 creates a legal pathway for private individuals to sue others who file lawsuits against them with malicious intent. To win such a case, a plaintiff must prove the original lawsuit was dismissed or decided in their favor, the defendant lacked reasonable legal/factual justification for filing it, the defendant acted with improper purpose (like harassment), and the plaintiff suffered actual financial harm directly from the case. The bill clarifies that plaintiffs don’t need to prove special harms like arrests or property seizures - only the normal stress and costs of defending a civil lawsuit. This applies solely to disputes between private parties, not to challenges against government actions.