In a lightning fast special session last week, the Tennessee General Assembly reconvened to address unfinished business from earlier this year when the legislative body abruptly adjourned after passing a bare-bones budget in anticipation of expected revenue shortfalls caused by the COVID-19 crisis.
After the sine die adjournment of a session in which only bills that were deemed necessary were considered, we began to share with our clients rumors of a special session almost immediately, primarily due to concerns about the failure to enact comprehensive liability protection for Tennessee businesses, municipalities, schools, and health care providers.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the special session on August 3, saying: "As COVID-19 continues to present unique challenges, we feel it is in the best interest of the state to convene a special session to address liability protections and telehealth.”
The administration-supported Tennessee COVID-19 Recovery Act, SB8002/HB8001, passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly last Wednesday and provided specific requirements for filing claims related to COVID-19, including requiring that a licensed medical professional provide testimony before a claim can be filed.
Eleven states have already passed liability protection laws, and the passage of this bill adds Tennessee to that list. The legislation will support and protect small businesses as they fight to open or stay open as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
However, this bill is not just important for small businesses. It is significant for all Tennessee businesses, schools, hospitals, and universities, as legislation in Washington to enact similar liability protection has not yet been enacted.
Our team at Bridge followed SB8002/HB8001 closely and served on the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce’s COVID-19 Liability Protection Coalition to help get the legislation over the finish line for several our clients, and we continue our work to ensure similar legislation is enacted at the federal level. We are pleased the General Assembly acted and that Governor Lee showed strong leadership in making this a top priority as our state continues to navigate this unprecedented public health and economic crisis.
If our team at Bridge can be of assistance to you or your company at the local, state or federal level, please contact us today. You also can follow Bridge on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.