Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed into law a bill granting civil immunity to businesses, individuals and others from COVID-inspired lawsuits.
House Bill 606, sponsored by state Rep. Diane Grendell, R-Chesterland, also “shields” health care providers from tort actions over the care and services they provide during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials say. However, they are not protected if they acted recklessly or displayed intentional misconduct.
“This bill is so critical for our frontline workers so that moving forward they will not have to worry about lawsuits while helping Ohioans amid the pandemic,” Grendell said in a news release. “This is much-needed relief for our healthcare workers, businesses, and even our schools as the academic year recently just begun.”
The legislation takes effect 90 days after DeWine signed it. The immunity covers the period from March 9, the date of an emergency declaration, through Sept. 30, 2021.
“By signing this important Buckeye-championed policy into law, Governor DeWine has given responsible businesses, schools, medical providers, and frontline workers the confidence to re-open and return to work without the fear of being slapped with COVID-related lawsuits,” Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center at The Buckeye Institute and vice president of policy, said in a statement. “These liability protections will help speed Ohio’s economic recovery and get more Ohioans safely back to work.”
