AN ACT relating to court costs.

Amend KRS 454.460 under the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act to define term; amend KRS 454.478, relating to court costs under the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act to require that the court make a finding that a party acted in bad faith prior to awarding court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and reasonable litigation expenses.

Introduced: January 13, 2026

Last action: January 21, 2026

To Judiciary (H)

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This bill changes the rules for when a court can order someone to pay the other side's legal costs in cases filed under the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, a law that protects people from lawsuits meant to silence their public speech. Under this bill, a court would first have to find that a party acted in bad faith before requiring them to cover those costs. It also adds a definition to clarify a term used in that law. Who it may affect: people involved in lawsuits related to public speech or expression, and their attorneys.

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