Illinois · House Bill 2836 · 103rd General Assembly

RIGHT TO SPEAK YOUR TRUTH ACT

HB 2836 Sponsored by Mary Beth Canty Died in committee

  1. Introduced Feb 16, 2023
  2. In committee Feb 16, 2023
  3. Died  
  4. Passed the Senate  
  5. To the governor  
  6. Became law  

What it does

The legislature's own summary of the bill, or its official long title.

Creates the Right to Speak Your Truth Act. Prohibits a person accused of sexual misconduct, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment from using a defamation action to silence, or retaliate against, the accusing person, staff, or third party reporting the forms of sexual misconduct, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. Provides that defamation claims, where an accuser is publicly named by a…

Read the full title (174 words)

Creates the Right to Speak Your Truth Act. Prohibits a person accused of sexual misconduct, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment from using a defamation action to silence, or retaliate against, the accusing person, staff, or third party reporting the forms of sexual misconduct, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. Provides that defamation claims, where an accuser is publicly named by a person, staff, or third person reporting alleged sexual misconduct, sexual abuse, sexual assault, or sexual harassment, shall be reserved for cases where cited documentation and evidence can establish within the initial court filing one or more of the following: (1) the claimed act in the reported accusation was a factual impossibility for the accused to have perpetrated; (2) the accuser has been impeached in a courtroom proceeding regarding the same alleged facts as in the present reported accusation; (3) the accuser has publicly made contrary statements involving relevant, material facts regarding the present reported incident; or (4) the accuser has publicly stated that the present reported incident did not occur.

Every action

6 steps, oldest first, as the legislature records them.

  1. HouseFiled with the Clerk by Rep. Mary Beth Canty
  2. HouseFirst Reading
  3. CommitteeReferred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  4. CommitteeAssigned to Judiciary - Civil Committee · House Judiciary - Civil
  5. CommitteeRule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee · House Rules
  6. HouseSession Sine Die

Roll calls

No recorded votes on this bill yet.

Sponsors

The member who introduced it.

From Illinois's official records (www.ilga.gov), checked Nov 13, 2026. Text links go to the official versions; LegiList does not copy bill text.