20 Dorsaneo, Texas Litigation Guide § 333.42

Summary

• [1] Purpose and Effective Date of TCPA and Amendments
  • [a] Purpose of TCPA

    Chapter 27 of the Civil Practices and Remedies Code is also known as the Texas Citizens Participation Act (TCPA). The Act is an anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) statute [e.g., KBMT Operating Co., LLC v. Toledo, 492 S.W.3d 710, 713 n.6 (Tex. 2016) (noting that TCPA is “sometimes referred to as an anti-SLAPP law,” and meaning of acronym)] that is designed to encourage and safeguard the constitutional rights of persons to petition, speak and associate freely, and otherwise participate in government to the maximum extent permitted by law, while simultaneously protecting the rights of a person to file meritorious lawsuits for demonstrable injury [Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 27.002; see Dall. Morning News, Inc. v. Hall, 579 S.W.3d 370, 376 (Tex. 2019) (TCPA “is a bulwark against retaliatory lawsuits meant to intimidate or silence citizens on matters of public concern”); In re Lipsky, 460 S.W.3d...