Spending regulations that are rational minimum in order to give the people and businesses the freedom to pursue their dreams and prosper. Texas has consistently been ranked s as the list of best states for business, best states to start a business and the best state for female entrepreneurs. According to the Small Business administration there are more than 2. 6 million Small Businesses throughout the state accounting for 99. 8 of all texas businesses. Those businesses employ nearly half of the states workforce inept count for the massive portion of the texas economy. To say Small Businesses arent Economic Force in texas but only paints half the picture. Big cities and small towns like these businesses play a Critical Role in our communities. Locally owned restaurants and bars we visit part of our regular routine with the gems the drycleaners Small Businesses are not just employers there owned by our friends and neighbors the part of the fabric of our community right now they are under severe stress and in real jeopardy the coronavirus is kept texas at home and put her Small Businesses into serious financial troubles. When state home orders were put in place, many were forced to close their doors outright. Over the last several weeks, like many of my colleagues ive helped innumerable videoconferences with chamber of commerce, business owners, and others have told me about the difficult decisions they have been forced to make in the wake of this virus. Without any demand, without an opportunity to sell their services or the food or other material they provide that the layoff employees or reduce their pay some are more concerned they could not survive more than a few weeks because they still had to pay the rent though starters are familiar with businesses across the country thats why we together literally unanimously the senate created the paycheck p p Protection Program this new Loan Program HelpsSmall Businesses and their employees manage these uncharted waters. By providing eight weeks of cash flow assistance to cover payroll and other business related expenses. As wed now know it was so popular and needed the initial 350 billion we funded ran out in less than two weeks. From that batch of funding though, texas received more loans than any other state nearly 135,000 Small Businesses benefited from the maycheck t Protection Program but the sum total of 28 and a half billion dollars thats the first three and 50 billion we appropriated it became obvious there is more demand than supply and so we had to then replenish the program with an additional 320 billion. So far 670 billion has gone into the paycheck Protection Program, these are astronomical numbers but obviously the need was serious and this appears to be meeting a very real need to keep these businesses afloat along with their employees since our Small Businesses have gotten these funds theres no shortage of stories about the positive impact its had on my state and i am sure each of us could tell similar stories. One of the recipients of a ppp loan was a grill thats been the favorite in dallas for decades prayed like other restaurants throughout texas estate home orders but them at a very tough financial spot. The restaurant closed in march without an end in sight. Then a lifeline came, in the formom of the paycheck Protection Program at Facebook Post from the restaurant read quote we are blessed to be a part of the paycheck Protection Program to help fund our comeback they reopened at the end of april just in time to celebrate their 23rd anniversary last friday and mothers day over the weekend. Theres also another comedy called juice land and austin based company with locations in dallas and houston as well. Matt shook is the founder and ceo and said they were preparing for busy spring but instead of having their nearly three dozen locations full of customers he had to close 25 stores and lay off 300 employees. He said every day is like being in a poker table and getting a bad hand. Every hand. But matt was then dealt with the few good cards. Juice land receive the paycheck Protection Program loan. He began to reopen the stores and higher back his employees he said this loan is going to be the difference in keeping his company afloat. The businesses that have received these loans were drowning until Congress Working together in a bipartisan way through them a lifeline. But madam president , now there facing s another risk that could bring a second wave of devastation and danger. Across the country we are starting to see coronavirus related litigation filed by the hundreds of cases patients and their families suing doctors, students doing universities employees and customers suing businesses and its just the beginning. As more states begin to restart their economies we can expect a tidal wave of lawsuits to follow. And while there is an absolutely should be Legal Recourse for those with legitimate claims, there are serious concerns of the number of frivolous claims and nuisance lawsuits we are expecting to. See. Imagine you are the owner of a small restaurant once stayathome orders were put in place you did at the way yous were asked. And you tried to keep your business going and your employees on payroll. You received a ppp loan which helped you in your workforce or vitamin c could reopen your doors and once that happened you took every precaution, followed every guideline, to protect your employees and your customers. You did your best to follow all government guidelines and regulations to a t. He stayed in close eacommunication with your employees about their health and required anyone who is not feeling well to stay all home. Your employees work masks and gloves and had their temperatures checked at the start of each s shift. You did your best to clean high touch surfaces, maintain social distancing in the restaurant and have Hand Sanitizer available for customers and employees. But then you find out you are being sued because someone claims they contracted the virus at your place of business. They claimed it happened because of your negligence. Either you knew or you should have known. While the legal nightmare you about to enter could have your business filing for bankruptcy by the end of the year even if the claim proved to be without merit. Because just the expense and the time and the effort, time you want people putting back in the business to rebuild the economy they are going to have to use a nuisance lawsuit perhaps paid money just so you dont have to continue to pay a lawyer to defend you in court. Without action in this congress, this is going to be a familiar story for Small Business owners, doctors, nurses, First Responders anybody and everybody who could potentially be blamed for a nether person contracting the virus. We are all familiar with those ready to jump at an opportunity to file suit over this and other similar matters whether the case has legs or not. You can imagine booktv ads and highway billboard ads encouraging to called someone 800 number if you have been impacted by the coronavirus. Only to be connected with a lawyer to file a lawsuit. Again regardless of merit. Let me be clear, as a recovering lawyer myself i dont think all lawyers are bad. We do know there are people who will take advantage of the opportunity. Again, let me say i have no doubt there have been and will be legitimate lawsuits targeting bad actors. If there is willful or reckless disregard for the person affected, they should have every right to sue and be made whole. But we need to take action against the lawsuit these frivolous lawsuits for tying up the courts, bankrupting businesses and discouraging the economy from reopening. This is without some precedents. Theyve had similar protection for business and workers who followed guidelines and act in good faith. For example theres a volunteer protection act of 1997 which provided Legal Protection for volunteers who worked at nonprofits. There is the y2k active 1999 which gave protection if they follow the guidelines in good waith in regard to y2k computer glitches. There was coverdale, teacher protection act of 2001 which gave protection to teachers and educators and so it simply time for congress once again, to exercise our Constitutional Authority to provide reasonable liabilityec protection for employers and workers who are operating in good faith and following thes government and Public Health guidelines. Theres no effort to allow bad behavior and a protect those who are grossly negligent. If you think about it, providing the safe harbor for those businesses who follow Public Health and government guidelines will actually encourage them to do so which will actually further protects the public. And their employees. The types of liability limitations my employees and i are interested in providing would simply prevent frivolous and nuisance lawsuits from harassing our frontline healthcare workers and Small Businesses which were acting reasonably and in good faith. Following health guidelines. If you are a business debating whether or not to reopen once you are able, the lawsuit frenzy could be the deciding factor. You may just decide to throw in the towel. We would all be losers, not the least of which would be employees who get their job from that employer. Would you risk potential lawsuit that would tie up in courts for months if not years on end in bankruptcy or business even though youre prepared to follow Health Guidance . Inclined. Ci they will not be inclined to open up under those circumstances. Without limitingor liability for Small Business owners and workers our economic recovery will be stunted as a result of the fear of the negative impact of these frivolous lawsuits. Thats a situation we need to address and prevent. Congress is taking unprecedented steps toc strengthen the nations response to the coronavirus and minimize economic fallout. We have done that together. But the tidal wave of lawsuits that could come, and will come, unless we act limit that liability will undo every bit of progress that we have tried to make. We cannot allow our doctors, nurses, First Responders, Small Businesses who survive the pandemic only to find themselves battling a second crisis in the courtroom, an existential crisis. In order to strengthenen the response of the curve pandemic, madam president we must protect those doing everything in their power to keep us safe while following the guidelines the government provides them. And we need to keep them from having to suffer and perhaps not survive the second pandemic that will because by opportunisticsi education. Met president yield the florid note the absence of a quorum. The senator from nebraskas recognize. Been a president i rise today to speak about the unprecedented crisis that our nation is facing. In that matter of just a few