Legal Sidebari
Legal Issues Related to the COVID-19
Outbreak: An Overview
Updated April 10, 2020
The COVID-19 outbreak has rapidly shifted the congressional agenda in recent weeks, while altering the
daily lives of millions of American residents. Alongside the many medical, economic, social, and public
policy questions raised by the pandemic are a range of legal issues. These include both short-term legal
questions related to the unfolding outbreak as well as longer-term legal issues that are anticipated to
persist in the wake of the crisis. Among the most immediate questions are those related to the scope of
state and federal authorities concerning quarantine measures, travel and entry restrictions, the movement
of medical goods, health care coverage, and the like. Of more ongoing concern may be legal issues
ranging from those related to the development of vaccines, testing, treatments, and other medical
countermeasures, to postponing national elections, to civil liability for COVID-19 exposure, to criminal
actions related to hoarding and price gouging, to providing economic assistance to individuals and
businesses, to foreclosure, eviction, and debt collection moratoria.
This Legal Sidebar provides a list of legal resources discussing these and other legal topics related to the
COVID-19 pandemic. It will be updated intermittently as additional legal issues emerge.
Health Care, Health Coverage, and Medical Countermeasures
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10436, COVID-19: International Trade and Access to Pharmaceutical Products,
by Nina M. Hart.
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10422, COVID-19 Medical Countermeasures: Intellectual Property and
Affordability, by Kevin J. Hickey.
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10443, The PREP Act and COVID-19: Limiting Liability for Medical
Countermeasures, by Kevin J. Hickey.
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10430, Section 1135 Waivers and COVID-19: An Overview, by Jennifer A.
Staman.
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10427, COVID-19: Legal Considerations for Bringing a New Vaccine to Market,
by Erin H. Ward.
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
LSB10433
CRS Legal Sidebar
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress
Congressional Research Service
2
Quarantine, Travel Restrictions, and Social Distancing
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10415, COVID-19: Current Travel Restrictions and Quarantine Measures, by
Edward C. Liu.
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10440, Webcasting in the Time of COVID-19: Copyright Implications of Remote
Worship & Distance Learning, by Kevin T. Richards.
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10439, Entry Restrictions at the Northern and Southern Borders in Response to
COVID-19, by Kelsey Y. Santamaria and Ben Harrington.
Medical Goods, Procurement, Government Contracts
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10428, COVID-19 and Federal Procurement Contracts, by David H. Carpenter.
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10424, COVID-19: An Overview of Trade-Related Measures to Address Access to
Medical Goods, by Nina M. Hart.
Economic and Employment Issues
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10445, Eligibility of Religious Organizations for the CARES Act’s Paycheck
Protection Program, by Valerie C. Brannon.
CRS Insight IN11320, CARES Act Eviction Moratorium, by Maggie McCarty and David H. Carpenter.
CRS In Focus IF11487, The Families First Coronavirus Response Act Leave Provisions, by Sarah A.
Donovan and Jon O. Shimabukuro.
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10442, Recovery Rebates and Unemployment Compensation under the CARES
Act: Immigration-Related Eligibility Criteria, by Ben Harrington.
CRS In Focus IF11500, The CARES Act: Implications for Tribes, by Mainon A. Schwartz.
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10434, COVID-19 Response: Constitutional Protections for Private Property, by
Sean M. Stiff.
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10435, The Federal Reserve’s Legal Authorities for Responding to the Economic
Impacts of COVID-19, by Jay B. Sykes.
Public Rights and Services
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10437, The Courts and COVID-19, by Joanna R. Lampe.
CRS Legal Sidebar LSB10425, Postponing Federal Elections and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Legal
Considerations, by Jacob D. Shelly.
Criminal Matters
CRS Report R46297, Federal Prisoners and COVID-19: Background and Authorities to Grant Release,
by Nathan James and Michael A. Foster.
Congressional Research Service
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Author Information
Caitlain Devereaux Lewis, Coordinator
Section Research Manager
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff
to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of
Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of
information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role.
CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United
States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However,
as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the
permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
LSB10433 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED