Codifies United States Supreme Court ruling that in defamation suit, public official must prove defendant had actual malice: knowledge that defendant's statement was false or reckless disregard of whether it was false.

This New Jersey bill (S 2348) codifies the U.S. Supreme Court's standard from *New York Times Co. v. Sullivan* for defamation lawsuits involving public officials. It requires public officials suing for defamation related to their official duties to prove the statement was false and made with "actual malice" (knowledge it was false or reckless disregard for truth). Truth of the statement is an absolute defense, preventing recovery. The bill simply formalizes this existing federal precedent into state law without altering the legal standard.