[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 564 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 564

  To limit the civil liability of business entities providing use of 
                 facilities to nonprofit organizations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 14, 1997

 Mr. Santorum (for himself and Mr. Coverdell) introduced the following 
    bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To limit the civil liability of business entities providing use of 
                 facilities to nonprofit organizations.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. LIABILITY OF BUSINESS ENTITIES PROVIDING USE OF FACILITIES 
              TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Business entity.--The term ``business entity'' means a 
        firm, corporation, association, partnership, consortium, joint 
        venture, or other form of enterprise.
            (2) Facility.--The term ``facility'' means any real 
        property, including any building, improvement, or appurtenance.
            (3) Gross negligence.--The term ``gross negligence'' means 
        voluntary and conscious conduct by a person with knowledge (at 
        the time of the conduct) that the conduct is likely to be 
        harmful to the health or well-being of another person.
            (4) Intentional misconduct.--The term ``intentional 
        misconduct'' means conduct by a person with knowledge (at the 
        time of the conduct) that the conduct is harmful to the health 
        or well-being of another person.
            (5) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
        organization'' means--
                    (A) any organization described in section 501(c)(3) 
                of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
                tax under section 501(a) of such Code; or
                    (B) any not-for-profit organization organized and 
                conducted for public benefit and operated primarily for 
                charitable, civic, educational, religious, welfare, or 
                health purposes.
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern 
        Mariana Islands, any other territory or possession of the 
        United States, or any political subdivision of any such State, 
        territory, or possession.
    (b) Limitation on Liability.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to subsection (c), a business 
        entity shall not be subject to civil liability relating to any 
        injury or death occurring at a facility of the business entity 
        in connection with a use of such facility by a nonprofit 
        organization if--
                    (A) the use occurs outside of the scope of business 
                of the business entity;
                    (B) such injury or death occurs during a period 
                that such facility is used by the nonprofit 
                organization; and
                    (C) the business entity authorized the use of such 
                facility by the nonprofit organization.
            (2) Application.--This subsection shall apply--
                    (A) with respect to civil liability under Federal 
                and State law; and
                    (B) regardless of whether a nonprofit organization 
                pays for the use of a facility.
    (c) Exception for Liability.--Subsection (b) shall not apply to an 
injury or death that results from an act or omission of a business 
entity that constitutes gross negligence or intentional misconduct, 
including any misconduct that--
            (1) constitutes a crime of violence (as that term is 
        defined in section 16 of title 18, United States Code) or act 
        of international terrorism (as that term is defined in section 
        2331 of title 18) for which the defendant has been convicted in 
        any court;
            (2) constitutes a hate crime (as that term is used in the 
        Hate Crime Statistics Act (28 U.S.C. 534 note));
            (3) involves a sexual offense, as defined by applicable 
        State law, for which the defendant has been convicted in any 
        court; or
            (4) involves misconduct for which the defendant has been 
        found to have violated a Federal or State civil rights law.
    (d) Superseding Provision.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2) and subsection 
        (e), this Act preempts the laws of any State to the extent that 
        such laws are inconsistent with this Act, except that this Act 
        shall not preempt any State law that provides additional 
        protection from liability for a business entity for an injury 
        or death with respect to which conditions under subparagraphs 
        (A) through (C) of subsection (b)(1) apply.
            (2) Limitation.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
        supersede any Federal or State health or safety law.
    (e) Election of State Regarding Nonapplicability.--This Act shall 
not apply to any civil action in a State court against a business 
entity in which all parties are citizens of the State if such State 
enacts a statute--
            (1) citing the authority of this subsection;
            (2) declaring the election of such State that this Act 
        shall not apply to such civil action in the State; and
            (3) containing no other provisions.
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