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New Louisiana law protects schools from COVID-19 lawsuits

Posted On: Jul. 10, 2020 12:53 PM CST

Louisiana bus

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Wednesday signed into law a bill that provides schools with immunity from COVID-19-related litigation.

H.B. 59, which faced some opposition in both chambers and saw several amendments and revisions before lawmakers approved it in late June, states that there “shall be no cause of action related to a person contracting COVID-19 at a public or nonpublic school, other public or nonpublic school facility, on a public or nonpublic school bus, or at a public or nonpublic school-sponsored event, which is based on the actions or failure to act by school officers, employees, or agents in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.”

The new law also states that schools and school districts are not immune from lawsuits “if the action or failure to act was in violation of a policy, rule, or regulation adopted by the public or nonpublic school, public or nonpublic school system, public or nonpublic school governing authority, or charter school governing authority or was in violation of any procedure mandated by law or by rule or regulation adopted by a federal or state agency … and such action or inaction is determined to be grossly negligent or wanton or reckless misconduct.”

The law is retroactive to March 11.

More insurance and workers compensation news on the coronavirus crisis here