Congress must include targeted and temporary liability protections as it considers the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation, CUNA and nearly 600 other organizations wrote to all members of Congress this week.

“We thus urge you to include balanced liability relief provisions similar to last Congress’ SAFE TO WORK ACT (S. 4317) in any further COVID-19 relief legislation,” the letter reads. “We believe that legislation in this space should ensure that unfair lawsuits will not hamper those who work to comply with applicable government guidelines. We also believe these protections should be limited in duration and scope in addition to preserving reasonable recourse for those harmed by truly bad actors.”

The organizations note that lawmakers from both parties recognized the need for targeted, temporary liability relief during discussions about previous relief legislation.

“In the wake of prior crises, Congress came together to pass needed liability protections with strong bipartisan support because lawmakers understood the acute threat of lawsuits at moments of maximum economic vulnerability. That threat is present again now,” the letter reads. “As such, Congress must take strong action now and provide a national baseline of liability protection during this national pandemic to prevent an influx of lawsuits from inhibiting our return to a robust economy and healthy citizenry.”