PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · May 6, 2020
Facilitating Innovation to Fight Coronavirus Act
This bill provides immunity from civil liability to health care providers for certain actions taken during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency and lengthens the terms of certain medical patents related to the treatment of COVID-19.
Specifically, when testing for or treating COVID-19 during the public health emergency, a health care provider may not be held liable in any federal, state, or local civil proceeding for (1) using or modifying a medical device for an unapproved use or indication; (2) practicing without a license or outside of an area of specialty, if instructed to do so by an individual with such a license or within such an area of speciality; or (3) conducting the testing of, or providing treatment to, a patient outside of the premises of standard health care facilities.
Additionally, certain medical patents that are issued with respect to the treatment of COVID-19 are deemed not to begin until the termination of the presidential emergency declaration relating to COVID-19 and are extended for an additional 10 years.
People & committees
Sen. Sasse, Ben [R-NE] · R–NE
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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Analyze S.3630 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
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