Establishes the "Uniform Public Expression Protection Act"

HB 2666 establishes the "Uniform Public Expression Protection Act" to protect certain communications from lawsuits. It applies to individuals, businesses, or nonprofits who communicate about public concerns in government proceedings or exercise free speech rights (as guaranteed by U.S. or Missouri constitutions), excluding government employees acting officially, public health/safety enforcement, or commercial speech about goods/services. The key mechanism allows defendants in qualifying lawsuits to file a "special motion to dismiss" within 60 days, triggering an automatic stay of all other court proceedings until the motion is decided. This aims to reduce legal costs and delays for protected expression by enabling early dismissal of frivolous claims.