# Pennsylvania — Anti-SLAPP special motion deadlines, fee-shifting and discovery stay by state

For Pennsylvania, deadline to file the motion is A motion under subsection (a) must be made as follows: (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), no later than 60 days after being served with a pleading asserting a cause of action based on protected public expression; attorney's fees for the prevailing party is If the party is immune under section 8340.15 (relating to grant of immunity), the court shall award the party attorney fees, court costs and expenses of litigation jointly and severally against each adverse party that asserted the cause of action; statute is 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 8340.16, 8340.18, recorded from its source on 2026-09-02.

- **State:** Pennsylvania _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Deadline to file the motion:** A motion under subsection (a) must be made as follows: (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), no later than 60 days after being served with a pleading asserting a cause of action based on protected public expression. _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Attorney's fees for the prevailing party:** If the party is immune under section 8340.15 (relating to grant of immunity), the court shall award the party attorney fees, court costs and expenses of litigation jointly and severally against each adverse party that asserted the cause of action. _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Effect on discovery:** If a motion under subsection (a) is made, all of the following apply: (1) Except as provided in subsection (f), all other proceedings in the action are stayed. This paragraph includes discovery and the moving party's obligation to file a responsive pleading. _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Statute:** 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 8340.16, 8340.18 _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> A motion under subsection (a) must be made as follows: (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), no later than 60 days after being served with a pleading asserting a cause of action based on protected public expression.

## Where each value comes from

This source states these in separate places, so each value is shown with the passage that states it.

### Deadline to file the motion

> A motion under subsection (a) must be made as follows: (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), no later than 60 days after being served with a pleading asserting a cause of action based on protected public expression.

### Attorney's fees for the prevailing party

> If the party is immune under section 8340.15 (relating to grant of immunity), the court shall award the party attorney fees, court costs and expenses of litigation jointly and severally against each adverse party that asserted the cause of action.

### Effect on discovery

> If a motion under subsection (a) is made, all of the following apply: (1) Except as provided in subsection (f), all other proceedings in the action are stayed. This paragraph includes discovery and the moving party's obligation to file a responsive pleading.

## Source

- https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/42/00.083.040.016..HTM
- https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/42/00.083.040.018..HTM

Last verified: 2026-09-02. Review by: 2027-09-02.
Part of [Anti-SLAPP special motion deadlines, fee-shifting and discovery stay by state](https://referencesource.org/anti-slapp-motion-provisions-by-state/).