SC lawmakers want to fully reopen the state to fire up the economy,

But business owners are worried about law suits from reopening too soon.

Ted Pitts, SC Chamber of Commerce CEO, told lawmakers the way you get people back to work is to give employers some certainty about their legal standing.

Lawmakers met with Pitts and other business leaders this week to discuss what that certainty might be.

“The clarity for business more than anything is give us a clear standard so we know what it is we have to comply with and I think that’s something we can do,” said Rep. Tommy Pope.

The Accelerate SC Task Force developed the best practices for businesses to use while reopening.

The covid-19 Liability Protection Committee is working to clarify those guidelines, reported WCBD-TV.

“The safe harbor we want should start at the start of the pandemic and end at the end of the pandemic,” said Sara Hazzard of the SC Manufacturers Alliance.

This means that businesses are protected from lawsuits as long as they adhere to the safety guidelines.

The safe harbor bill would make the guidelines more permanent and put all businesses on the same footing.

“That if I do things, follow the rules, I’m not going to get sued, that my attorney will be able to talk to their attorney and say you have no grounds for a suit,” Pitts said.

According to information presented at the meeting, 16 lawsuits have been filed about wrongful termination, education refunds and insurance disputes.