Senator Christopher Connors, Assemblyman Brian Rumpf and Assemblywoman DiAnne Gove praised the Senate’s passage of legislation to protect senior communities from potentially expensive pandemic-related lawsuits.

Specifically, 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.

Senators Connors voted for bill on ​the Senate floor as well as is in committee as a member of the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee.

The 9th District legislators issued the following statement:

“By and large, senior communities are effectively run organizations, whose homeowner associations are administered mostly by volunteers. Unfortunately, the threat of COVID-related lawsuits has prevented many senior communities from fully opening their facilities, including clubhouses and pools.

“From the outset, our Delegation has supported legislative efforts to provide senior communities, as well as youth sports leagues, with legal immunity from COVID-related lawsuits. With the understanding that this is an important issue to so many, we are working to make it possible for our constituents living in senior communities to use their clubhouses and pools and restore a sense of normalcy without the fear of their associations being sued.

“Today’s action by the Senate is a productive step forward. However, the Assembly needs to move quickly to pass legislation and send it to the Governor’s desk to protect senior communities from the potential risk of spending thousands of dollars in legal costs to defend against lawsuits.”

Having passed the Senate, S-3584, sponsored by Senator Linda Greenstein, now heads to the Assembly for consideration.