MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson today testified before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee to support SB 190 COVID-19 Claim – Civil Immunity. This bill would create civil immunity protection for actions taken during the Covid-19 pandemic unless there was gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing behind an individual’s actions.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Christopher West, at the hearing expressed an interest in an amendment limiting the protections to those who “acted in good faith,” with which MACo and other stakeholders agreed.

From the MACo Testimony:

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis that struck Maryland and much of the world in 2020 has posed considerable public health and fiscal challenges. Maryland’s response to this unique circumstance must
reflect a proper balance of consideration for individuals, but also for businesses and institutions, who
have engaged in reasonable contact but nonetheless are connected to the virus’s spread.

SB 210 suggests such a balanced approach. Employers of all types were pressed to fashion
accommodations for their workplaces – in many cases doing so without clear guidance from federal or
other authorities. For the most part, the employer community – including local governments –
accomplished their tasks while preserving the safety of employees and their customers, clients, or
residents.

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2021 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database.