Sen. Fitzpatrick Talks COVID Liability Protections from Helena [FULL AUDIO]

Will the COVID-19 liability protection bill before the Montana Legislature shield businesses from frivolous lawsuits and truly provide them with liability protection, or will the bill impose more liability instead? That's one of the big questions the bill's sponsor, State Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick (R-Great Falls), says he is getting.

We talked about Senate Bill 65 and more with Sen. Fitzpatrick on the radio on Monday.

Click below for the full audio:

Governor Greg Gianforte (R-MT) is also backing SB65 which is sponsored in the house by Rep. Mark Noland (R-Bigfork). He says the bill will "offer liability protections to businesses, health care providers, places of worship, and nonprofit organizations that follow public health guidelines to combat the spread of COVID-19."

GOVERNOR GIANFORTE: I appreciate that SB 65 begins by offering protections to those who care for our residents during the pandemic, including by limiting the civil liability of health care providers and manufacturers of COVID-19-related products under certain circumstances. Such health care providers and manufacturers remain especially vital to the state’s ongoing pandemic response and current initiatives to protect the most vulnerable Montanans.

Full letter from Gov. Gianforte:

The bill also has the support from the Montana Chamber of Commerce. As we previously reported, the head of the chamber authored a guest opinion for The Flathead Beacon:

This bill protects businesses from litigation if a customer claims to have contracted COVID-19 in their business. It protects responsible organizations making appropriate safeguards, following CDC protocols for social distancing, sanitization, and wearing face masks.

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