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ISSA Calls on Congress to Enact COVID-19 Liability Relief

ISSA joined more than 230 organizations to call on U.S. Congress to enact temporary and targeted liability relief legislation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These crucial protections should safeguard businesses, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions, as well as health care providers and facilities from unfair lawsuits so that they can continue to contribute to a safe and effective recovery from this pandemic.

Currently, cleaning-related businesses are working around-the-clock to get our nation through this pandemic. From manufacturers and distributors of cleaning products to cleaning service providers, the cleaning industry has rallied to help our country endure and emerge from this crisis. However, as those workers and businesses keep our communities safe and provide for the American people, our members and constituencies are concerned that, despite doing their best to follow applicable guidelines, they will be forced to defend against an onslaught of frivolous lawsuits. The prospect of such litigation and associated exorbitant legal costs are a deterrent to reopening. Further, this litigation could devastate those entities that are just beginning to reopen their doors or have kept them open throughout the crisis.

In the letter, the signatories ask Congress to “quickly enact temporary liability protections for: (1) businesses, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions that work to follow applicable public health guidelines against COVID-19 exposure claims; (2) healthcare workers and facilities providing critical COVID-19-related care and services; (3) manufacturers, donors, distributors, and users of vaccines, therapeutics, medical devices, as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies (such as hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies) that are critical to the COVID-19 response; and (4) public companies targeted by unfair and opportunistic COVID-19-related securities lawsuits. In addition to being temporary, we believe that these liability protections should be limited in scope and preserve recourse for those harmed by truly bad actors who engage in egregious misconduct.”

“The need for liability protections and relief is clear. Several governors and state legislatures have already implemented COVID-19-related liability protections for key sectors, including the cleaning industry, in their states but a uniform national response is necessary,” said John Nothdurft, ISSA Director of Government Affairs. “Now is the time for Congress to take action to make sure businesses following public health guidelines are not subject to lawsuits as these will only serve to get in the way of what we all want and need: healthy citizens and a strong economy.”

ISSA is working diligently to support the full spectrum of the cleaning industry in the U.S. and the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing a variety of government affairs resources to support our members during this challenging time. For questions regarding ISSA’s advocacy efforts, including the association’s response to COVID-19, please contact [email protected].