MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On Thursday, the first bill passed by the Alabama Senate was SB 30 by Senator Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, legislation to shield organizations and groups from lawsuits related to the pandemic. Entities covered under this legislation include businesses, nonprofits, LLCs, health care providers, educational entities, churches, governmental entities and cultural institutions operating in this state, as well as individuals associated with these groups.
“These entities across our state have been crushed by the effects of the pandemic and are struggling to stay in business, maintain their employees on the payroll, and keep their doors open to continue to serve their communities,” said Orr.
“For our economy to continue to survive and recover, these groups need to know that they will be protected if they are making every effort to follow health and sanitization protocols,” Orr said.
“This legislation does not protect organizations that do not follow the rules. This simply prevents those who did from being taken advantage of in the courts,” Orr concluded.
Similar common-sense legislation has been adopted by more than 25 states including Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
“This legislation has one goal – to protect vulnerable people across our state who are struggling to stay afloat amid the pandemic,” Orr said. “This bill should be swiftly passed and signed into law so we can give people hurt by this pandemic this much-needed peace of mind.”
