Louisiana lawmakers are debating whether residents should be able to sue a restaurant if they think they contracted COVID-19 at the restaurant.
A plan to stop that from happening is sailing through the state capitol as of Tuesday, May 26.
If the bill passes and Governor John Bel Edwards signs it into law, you could not file a lawsuit against a restaurant and accuse them of giving you the coronavirus, either through food preparation or serving of your food.
The bill, SB 508 proposed by State Sen. Patrick McMath (R-Covington), would protect restaurants going all the way back to March 11 and until Gov. Edwards officially ends the public health emergency.
Dine-in, takeout, drive-thru, and delivery food service would all be protected by the proposed bill.
There are some exceptions for negligence on the part of the restaurant, though a judge would ultimately decide what that means.
The idea is widely supported by state legislators as a way to protect restaurants that are already hurting because of the coronavirus pandemic and economic shutdown.