1、CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i Freedom of Association in the Wake of Coronavirus April 16, 2020 At least 42 U.S. states have issued emergency orders directing residents to “stay at home,” with many states prohibiting gatherings of vari
2、ous sizes to control the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Californias March 19th stay-at-home order effectively banned public gatherings outside of “critical” sectors and “essential” services. New Yorks March 23rd order “canceled or postponed” “non-essential gatherings of individuals o
3、f any size for any reason (e.g. parties, celebrations or other social events),” with a maximum penalty of $1,000 for violations added in a later order. Marylands March 30th order prohibited “social, community, spiritual, religious, recreational, leisure, and sporting gatherings and events . . . of m
4、ore than 10 people,” with willful violators facing up to a year imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of $5,000. Texass March 31st order directed residents to “minimize social gatherings” except “where necessary to provide or obtain” designated “essential services.” In late March, some lawmakers called
