On May 27, ABC joined more than 200 organizations calling on Congress to quickly enact temporary and targeted liability relief legislation related to the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort spearheaded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

• Businesses, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions that work to follow applicable public health guidelines against COVID-19 exposure claims;
• Healthcare workers and facilities providing critical COVID-19-related care and services;
• Manufacturers, donors, distributors and users of vaccines, therapeutics, medical devices, PPE,  and other supplies (such as hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies) that are critical to the COVID-19 response; and
• Public companies targeted by unfair and opportunistic COVID-19-related securities lawsuits. In addition to being temporary, these liability protections should be limited in scope and preserve recourse for those harmed by truly bad actors who engage in egregious misconduct.

While liability legislation has not been included in the relief packages introduced or passed so far, the U.S. Senate has continued to work towards legislation that would establish liability protection for businesses from COVID-19 lawsuits as more states start to reopen businesses and essential work continues throughout the country.

ABC will continue to advocate for a limited liability safe harbor for companies and other organizations that follow government guidance and operate during the health crisis. ABC will update members with the latest information in Newsline.