HB 5125 — AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF IMMUNITY FROM CIVIL LIABILITY FOR ENTITIES THAT HAVE OPERATED PURSUANT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

General Assembly ProposedCommittee Bill No.

4134636 Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY Introduced by:

(JUD) AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF IMMUNITY FROM CIVIL LIABILITY FOR ENTITIES THAT HAVE OPERATED PURSUANT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1.

(NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section:

(1) "COVID-19" means the respiratory disease designated by the World Health Organization on February 11, 2020, as coronavirus 2019, and any related mutation thereof recognized by the World Health Organization as a communicable respiratory disease;

(2) "Entity" means (A) any individual or sole proprietorship, partnership, firm, corporation, trust, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, joint stock company, joint venture, association or other legal entity through which business for profit or not-for-profit is conducted;

or (B) any public agency, as defined in section 1-200 of the general statutes;

and (3) "Time period of the COVID-19 pandemic" means the time period covered by the public health and civil preparedness emergencies LCO No.

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5125 declared by the Governor on March 10, 2020, or any extension of such declarations, or any new public health or civil preparedness emergencies declared by the Governor as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak in this state.

(b) No entity may be held liable for any loss, damage, injury or death arising from exposure to or transmission of COVID-19 on the premises of the entity during the time period of the COVID-19 pandemic, provided such entity substantially complied with applicable health and safe operation guidelines contained in the executive orders issued by the Governor and guidance issued by the Department of Public Health applicable to such entity and premises, unless such loss, damage, injury or death is caused by the gross negligence or wilful misconduct of the entity.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

Section 1 from passage New section Statement of Purpose:

To provide immunity from civil liability to entities that have operated pursuant to health and safety guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets.

Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.] Co-Sponsors:

FISHBEIN, 90th Dist.Dist.;

FIORELLO, 149th Dist.

REP.

HOWARD,O'DEA, 43rd125th Dist.Dist.;

O'DEA,LABRIOLA, 125th131st Dist.

VEACH,HARDING, 30th107th Dist.Dist.;

LABRIOLA,PAVALOCK-D'AMATO, 131st77th Dist.

CARPINO,FIORELLO, 32nd149th Dist.Dist.;

HARDING,HOWARD, 107th43rd Dist.

REP.

VEACH, 30th Dist.;

REP.

CARPINO, 32nd Dist.

SAMPSON, 16th Dist.Dist.;

PAVALOCK-D'AMATO,ZAWISTOWSKI, 77th61st Dist.

ANREP. ACT CONCERNING THE PROVISION OF TEMPORARY IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY TO ENTITIES THAT HAVE SAFELY OPERATED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

BeFRANCE, it42nd enactedDist.; by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

ThatREP. chapter 925 of the general statutes be amended to provide temporary immunity from civil liability to businesses, nonprofit organizations, universities, the state and any of its political subdivisions who, on or after March 10, 2020, acted in substantial compliance with public health guidelines for any loss, damage, injury or death arising from exposure to or transmission of COVID-19 or any mutation thereof, except in instances of gross negligence or wilful misconduct.

StatementANDERSON, of62nd Purpose:Dist.

ToH.B. protect businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools, the state and its political subdivisions that have safely reopened from civil liability resulting from one's exposure to COVID-19.

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