Georgia Senate Passes Bill Protecting Small Businesses and Places of Worship

ATLANTA (March 5, 2021) | Today, Senate Bill 200, sponsored by Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R – Dallas), passed out of the Georgia State Senate. SB 200 would allow businesses and religious institutions to continue to operate during a public health emergency.

“During the pandemic, we’ve seen many businesses, especially small, locally owned businesses, permanently close because they could not withstand the financial impact of shutting down for weeks at a time,” said Sen. Anavitarte. “Additionally, we saw many people isolated from their communities, not being able to come together to worship when they needed to the most. SB 200 aims to protect our businesses and religious institutions in the event of a state of emergency and allow them to remain open and operational, so long as they follow the proper health and safety guidelines. I want to thank Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan for all of his support with this crucial legislation.”

“Georgia’s response to the pandemic saved countless small businesses, and provided an avenue for citizens to continue to join together to worship, avoiding dangerous and regressive shutdowns,” said Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan. “While other states have not even given small businesses, or churches,  the opportunity to adapt their operations, SB 200 follows the intent of Governor Kemp’s executive orders to ensure our small businesses and churches have the opportunity to stay open, keep employees on the payroll, and continue to operate critical non-profit ministries.”

This legislation would allow small businesses and religious institutions to operate while complying health guidelines and the Governor’s executive orders throughout public health emergencies, such as COVID-19. To learn more about SB 200 and track its progress, you can follow this link: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/59767