COVID-19 AG LEGAL UPDATE

Webinar

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

11:00 am – 12:00 pm (EDT)

The last thirty days have brought a flurry of legal actions by government and in the court systems, both state and federal, addressing the containment of COVID-19, disease transmission risks, and the continued ability to conduct the essential business of food production and distribution.

How can a producer and an employer stop long enough to digest what they need to know and make sense of it, all while continuing to operate a business?

The Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law is presenting a 60-minute webinar on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, which will synthesize some of the most important agricultural legal developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to assist producers and agricultural employers understand what they need to know. This is anticipated to be the first in a continuing series of webinars as conditions evolve.

The focus of the initial webinar will be on regulatory actions and the legal issues that may ultimately have to play out in courts across the country.

Highlights will include an overview of:

·        State-level actions by the Office of the Governor, PDA, DEP, PMMB, L&I, the Pennsylvania General Assembly and others that impact  Pennsylvania agricultural operations in this crisis.

·        Federal actions by the Executive Branch (the White House, USDA, DOT and others) and the U.S. Congress.

·        The potential for invocation of the Defense Production Act re: food production and potential conflicts with state and local government authority.

·        Risks and protections surrounding claims of legal liability for COVID-19 transmission; what is the meaning of the various lawsuits covered by the media so far?; and what are the legal issues to be aware of going forward?

A reserved Q & A segment will help us determine topics to address in future webinars.