WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Martha McSally (R-AZ), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the Civil Justice for Victims of COVID-19 Act to allow Americans to sue China in federal court for its role in causing the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Chinese Communist Party lied to the world about COVID-19 and allowed it to become a global pandemic, causing many Americans to tragically lose their loved ones and face immense financial hardship,” said Senator Tillis. “The American people deserve the right to hold the Chinese government accountable for its malicious actions, and I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this commonsense bill.”

Read the bill text HERE.

The Civil Justice for Victims of COVID Act:

• Gives federal courts authority to hear claims that China has caused or substantially contributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Strips China of its sovereign immunity for reckless actions that caused the COVID-19 pandemic and creates a cause of action.
• Authorizes federal courts to freeze Chinese assets.
• Is closely modeled after the 2016 Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) that gave more legal remedies to victims of terrorism, particularly those of 9/11 victims.