Murphy Reintroduces Open Schools Responsibly Act

Press Release

Washington, D.C. -- On Monday, Congressman Greg Murphy (NC-03) reintroduced H.R. 5079, 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 2021-2022 academic school year, so long as schools follow their states' health guidelines.

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.

"Leading experts agree that some students can lose as much as one year's worth of educational progress in the absence of in-person learning. In order to maximize in-person instruction this school year, it is critical that we have liability protections in place to protect schools that make a good-faith effort to promote health and safety in their facilities" said Murphy. "We do not want our kids falling any further behind, so it is essential that our schools, superintendents, and teachers have the reassurance they need to open their doors without fear of legal or economic penalties should a rare individual fall ill. Importantly, my bill does not protect those who do not ensure proper safety protections."

"We all agree that it is time to reopen schools and keep them open. To do this, we need to ensure that schools have the protections they need to comfortably re-open their doors," Murphy continued. "My common-sense legislation, the Open Schools Responsibly Act, is a necessary step in ensuring that our schools can confidently reopen without fear of repercussion, and our kids can stay in the classroom."

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