State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) joined his colleagues in calling for the passage of Senate Bill 1114 (SB 1114), which would protect small businesses that are currently experiencing business losses due to the novel coronavirus. While ordinarily a business may have insurance to account for loses that it sustains related to business interruptions, due to a provision that was added into insurance policies in 2006, following the SARS outbreak, there is an exception for claims due to viruses or bacteria.
SB 1114 would allow for businesses to have continued coverage during the virus outbreak and would allow for insured businesses to purchase a rider for coverage due to the virus. Pennsylvania is one of several states, including New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Louisiana, currently considering such a legislative fix.
