Connors Votes “YES” on COVID Immunity for Senior Communities
Connors Votes “YES” on COVID Immunity for Senior Communities
Rumpf & Gove Also Support Protecting Senior Communities from COVID-Lawsuits
As a member of the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee, Senator Christopher Connors voted “YES” on legislation to protect senior communities from expensive pandemic-related lawsuits.
The legislation, S-3584, would prohibit any causes of action for damages arising from a COVID-19 exposure or transmission on the premises of a planned real estate development. Under the legislation, the immunity would not apply to acts or omissions constituting a crime, actual fraud, actual malice, gross negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct.
Fellow 9th District legislative representatives Assemblyman Brian Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove also support the legislation and intend to vote “YES” if and when S-3584 and the identical companion measure, A-4979, are considered by the Assembly.
Senator Connors, Assemblyman Rumpf, and Assemblywoman Gove issued the following joint statement regarding S-3584, sponsored by Senator Linda Greenstein:
“Residents of senior communities desperately want the ability to open their facilities, namely their clubhouses and swimming pools, without the fear of lawsuits.
“In August of last year, our delegation introduced legislation to provide senior communities and youth sports leagues with immunity from COVID lawsuits. Our legislative proposal linked these respective organizations together as they are composed primarily of unpaid volunteers who are acting in the best interests of their communities.
“Needless to say, we support any bill that provides COVID immunity to senior communities as this issue impacts a large segment of our constituency. As more residents are vaccinated, the lingering concern for senior communities remains the potential for a lawsuit that, regardless of the outcome, could prove very expensive for residents and potentially force a community to close facilities, once again.
“Above all else, we just want to see our constituents have the quickest path to returning to a sense of normalcy. For those living in senior communities, that means having the ability to access their community’s facilities, especially those facilities located outdoors as the summer season approaches.”
