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Protecting Businesses From Frivolous COVID Lawsuits Act of 2025
To require a particular jury instruction in Federal civil actions that include a claim for damages based on negligence arising from the transmission of COVID19.
Summary
This bill requires federal courts to provide a specific jury instruction in civil cases alleging negligence arising from COVID-19 transmission. The instruction would establish that the reasonable person standard applies to liability and that the act of opening a business by itself is considered reasonable conduct as a matter of law. The instruction would also specify that negligence cannot be found solely on the basis of a business holding itself open for business during the pandemic.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] (R-AZ)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Andy Biggs’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- SAULSBURY INDUSTRIES $9,900
- 21ST CENTURY HEALTHCARE $7,500
- ULINE $6,600
- TW LEWIS COMPANY $6,600
- LEE BENSON $6,600
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Andy Biggs → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Jan 3, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. · house
- Jan 3, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 3, 2025
Mr. Biggs of Arizona introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To require a particular jury instruction in Federal civil actions that include a claim for damages based on negligence arising from the transmission of COVID19.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Protecting Businesses From Frivolous COVID Lawsuits Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. JURY INSTRUCTION IN FEDERAL CIVIL ACTIONS THAT INCLUDE A CLAIM ALLEGING NEGLIGENCE ARISING FROM THE TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19.
In a Federal civil action that includes a claim alleging negligence arising from the transmission of COVID-19 and a request for damages, the court shall instruct a jury that—
(1) the liability standard is the reasonable person standard,
(2) a person is negligent if the person either does something that a reasonably careful person would not do in the same situation, or fails to do something that a reasonably careful person would do, in the same situation,
(3) the act of opening a business, by itself, shall be considered to be reasonable as a matter of law, and
(4) the negligence may not be found solely on the basis of holding oneself open for business. <all>
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