Murphy Introduces Legislation to Financially Protect Schools Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, July 21, 2020, Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03) introduced H.R. 7710, the Open Schools Responsibly Act. If passed, the bill would protect academic institutions from lawsuits and economic penalties related to contracting and transmitting COVID-19 upon returning to school for the 2020-2021 academic school year, so long as schools follow their state's and the CDC's health guidelines. However, the protections would not apply if harm was caused by an act or omission on the part of the school constituting willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or a conscious flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of covered individuals.
"Research suggests some students may lose as much as a year's worth of educational progress due to virtual learning. Many students, particularly those in rural areas, do not have the ability to participate in online classes due to the lack of broadband internet in their areas. We must do all we can to ensure our youth, especially those most at risk of falling behind in school, participate in as much in-school learning as possible," said Murphy.
"In order to do this, school board members, superintendents and principals need to have the confidence that they will not be sued if they take the proper precautions and the rare individual does fall ill. This bill does not protect those who do not protect their charges," continued Murphy.
"We do not want our students to fall even further behind than they already have, so we need to pass this commonsense legislation to give school administrators the assurance they need to reopen their doors. I hope House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will consider this legislation when compiling the next Coronavirus relief package that comes through Congress," concluded Murphy.
The text of the bill can be found here.
Yesterday, Murphy wrote an op-ed detailing why he believes schools should reopen and why his legislation is necessary. The article can be found here.