PUBLIC EXPRESSION PROTECTION ACT

Added a new Section 2 with detailed legislative findings and purposes explaining that the act is intended to prevent abuse of the legal process through baseless civil lawsuits that burden individuals exercising First Amendment rights.

Added a new Section 5 requiring an automatic stay of all other proceedings, including discovery, once a special motion is filed, to prevent defendants from being burdened by parallel litigation.

Added a new Section 16 repealing existing sections 38-2-9.1 and 38-2-9.2 of the NMSA 1978, which were likely the previous version of this protection.

Changed the short title from 'Public Expression Protection Act' to 'Uniform Public Expression Protection Act' to indicate alignment with a national model law.

Added specific definitions for 'goods or services' (excluding creative works) and 'governmental unit' to clarify the scope of exemptions.

Added a new Section 4 establishing a special motion for expedited relief to dismiss claims, allowing parties to seek dismissal within 60 days of being served.

Added a new Section 11 mandating that the court award court costs, reasonable attorney fees, and litigation expenses to the prevailing party on the motion.

Added a new Section 6 requiring courts to hear motions pursuant to Section 4 within 60 days of filing, unless discovery or other good cause requires a later hearing.

Changed the effective date from an unspecified date in the original version to a specific date of July 1, 2025.