1.This Act may be cited as
the Good Samaritan Liability
Improvement and Volunteer Encouragement Act of 2005
or
the GIVE Act of
2005
.
2.Congress finds the following:
(1)It is in the
national interest to encourage individuals to volunteer, and particularly to
assist victims of national disasters.
(2)The willingness
of volunteers to offer their services is deterred by the potential for
liability actions against them.
(3)The contribution
of programs that use volunteers to their communities is thereby diminished,
resulting in fewer and higher cost programs than would be obtainable if
volunteers were participating.
(4)The exposure of
potential volunteers, their employers, and those who would use the services of
volunteers under existing law to compensatory and punitive damages for
negligent acts discourages the provision of these services.
(5)The availability
of damages for actions that constitute gross negligence creates uncertainty
concerning the actual conduct that might cause liability to be imposed on
volunteers.
(6)Potential
liability for acts of volunteers discourages the employers or business partners
of potential volunteers from permitting those potential volunteers to provide
disaster relief services.
(7)Potential
liability for acts of volunteers discourages entities that might use the
services provided by volunteers from doing so.
(8)Well-founded fear
of liability under existing law for providing goods, equipment, access to
facilities, and other in-kind contributions discourages those who would donate
them from doing so.
(9)Well-founded fear
of liability under existing law for providing goods discourages governmental
and intergovernmental entities from providing needed disaster relief
goods.
(10)Well-founded
fear of liability for punitive damages under existing law discourages
governmental and intergovernmental entities from providing needed disaster
relief goods and discourages potential volunteers from providing volunteer
services to disaster victims.
(11)Fear of
compensatory and punitive damages for providing volunteer services deters
potential volunteers from States located outside the national disaster area
from providing volunteer services.
(12)Fear of
compensatory and punitive damages for providing volunteer services deters
potential foreign volunteers from providing disaster relief services.
(13)Any lessening of
liability for volunteers providing disaster relief services, their employers
and business partners, and entities utilizing their services should maintain
adequate incentives for each of these classes of persons or entities to avoid
causing harm.
(14)Unwillingness to
provide volunteer services in the face of uncertain liability substantially
affects, burdens, and deters interstate commerce and travel.
(15)Unwillingness of
employers and business partners to allow their employees and business partners
to provide volunteer and disaster relief services in the face of uncertain
liability substantially affects, burdens, and deters interstate commerce and
travel.
(16)Unwillingness of
persons, entities, or organizations to accept volunteer and disaster relief
services from volunteers in the face of uncertain liability substantially
affects, burdens, and deters interstate commerce and travel.
(17)Unwillingness by
foreigners to provide volunteer and disaster relief services in the face of
uncertain liability substantially affects, burdens, and deters foreign commerce
and travel.
(18)Because Federal
funds are expended on useful and cost-effective social service programs, many
of which are national in scope, depend heavily on volunteer participation, and
represent some of the most successful public-private partnerships, protection
of volunteerism through clarification and limitation of the personal liability
risks assumed by the volunteer in connection with such participation is an
appropriate subject for Federal legislation.
(19)Services and
goods provided by volunteers and nonprofit organizations would often otherwise
be provided by private entities that operate in interstate commerce.
(20)Due to high
liability costs and unwarranted litigation costs, volunteers and nonprofit
organizations face higher costs in purchasing insurance, through interstate
insurance markets, to cover their activities.
(21)Clarifying and
limiting the liability risk assumed by volunteers is an appropriate subject for
Federal legislation because—
(A)of the national
scope of the problems created by the legitimate fears of volunteers about
frivolous, arbitrary, or capricious lawsuits;
(B)the citizens of
the United States depend on, and the Federal Government expends funds on and
provides tax exemptions and other consideration to, numerous social programs
that depend on the services of volunteers;
(C)it is in the
interest of the Federal Government to encourage the continued operation of
volunteer service organizations and contributions of volunteers, as the Federal
Government lacks the capacity to carry out all of the services provided by such
organizations and volunteers; and
(D)(i)liability reform for
volunteers, will promote the free flow of goods and services, lessen burdens on
interstate commerce and uphold constitutionally protected due process rights;
and
(ii)therefore, liability reform is an
appropriate use of the powers contained in article 1, section 8, clause 3 of
the Constitution of the United States, and the fourteenth amendment to the
Constitution of the United States.
(22)Unless Congress
provides uniform standards to address disasters that could occur in any State
or combination of States, potential volunteers and others will not be certain
which laws would govern their providing disaster relief services, which would
substantially affect, burden, and deter interstate and foreign commerce and
travel in the event of a national disaster.
<enum>I</enum><header>Disaster relief
volunteer protection</header>
<section id="idA97821F2018742AB8E1397FC90D24248"><enum>101.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this title—</text>
<paragraph id="ID7a948719ab6349ec9d3c0a5b5ff635f4"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the term
<term>compensation</term>—</text>
<subparagraph id="id53621D73ECF942ACB25B6E7BEC9D9231"><enum>(A)</enum><text>means monetary or
other compensation of any kind provided in exchange for an individual's
services; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id17072A857FA8404EAC7BBA5522262BA8"><enum>(B)</enum><text>does not
include—</text>
<clause id="id90089751778D42A1A0C94625B0410348"><enum>(i)</enum><text>reasonable
reimbursement or allowance for expenses actually incurred by such
individual;</text>
</clause><clause id="idD6E602E4469B449B84DCD4CDFCBE2FA2"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>provision of
reasonable supplies, lodging, or transportation to such an individual;
or</text>
</clause><clause id="id56315A28EC0345688565EA709561EED9"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>the ordinary
salary or compensation paid to such an individual by the employer of the
individual while the individual is on leave from performing ordinary duties for
the employer of the individual in order to provide disaster relief
services;</text>
</clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ID7387b15a811946978ee3970c2d8f22cf"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the term
<term>declared disaster</term> means—</text>
<subparagraph id="idC73DFA5E40834984944B6825A0E4186E"><enum>(A)</enum><text>a public health
emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section
319 of the Public Health Services Act (42 U.S.C. 247d);</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id0B2CA13E268F48F6A1F060ECAD6A5AB1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>a public health
emergency, or a risk of such emergency, as determined by the Secretary of
Homeland Security in accordance with clause (i) or (ii) of section
2811(b)(3)(A) of the Public Health Services Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-11(b)(3)(A)),
as transferred by section 503(5) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C.
313(5)); or</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id8BE68575C94F4B91B71BA7FD10086596"><enum>(C)</enum><text>an emergency or
major disaster declared by the President under section 401 or 501 of the Robert
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170,
5191);</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="IDdbb6a195e68a4a81865afa6a1e2a818a"><enum>(3)</enum><text>the term
<term>disaster relief goods</term> means either—</text>
<subparagraph id="id9EB699E4BFF4429AA216FA22EE4E7E7E"><enum>(A)</enum><text>those goods
provided in preparation for, response to, or recovery from a declared disaster
and reasonably necessary to such preparation, response, or recovery; or</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4499F69F23364D15A3374D0DA6425764"><enum>(B)</enum><text>those goods
defined by a supplemental declaration under this title;</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="IDa14994dd26a44c37abc90f36402e8e93"><enum>(4)</enum><text>the term
<term>disaster relief services</term> means services or assistance provided in
preparation for, response to, or recovery from a declared disaster, including
but not limited to health, medical, firefighting, rescue, reconstruction, and
any other services or assistance specified by a supplemental declaration under
this title as necessary or desirable to prepare for, respond to, or recover
from such declared disaster;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="IDac7fed9097334d1ca6b77cc0d7da0fe5"><enum>(5)</enum><text>the term
<term>disaster relief volunteer</term> means an individual—</text>
<subparagraph id="idC061CB31F1AC40429ADB572C256038E4"><enum>(A)</enum><text>who provides
disaster relief services or assistance in connection with a declared disaster
without expectation or receipt of compensation in exchange for providing such
services or assistance; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="idBE79F797CFD046F1973662E041E27B2B"><enum>(B)</enum><text>who, to the
extent required by the appropriate authorities of a State (even if such State
is not the State in which the volunteer provides services or assistance) or,
if, and to the extent, specified in a supplemental declaration under this
title, a foreign country, is licensed, certified, or authorized to provide the
relevant services or assistance;</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ID43ee3d7565f346bf98135419f262f439"><enum>(6)</enum><text>the term
<term>non-economic loss</term> means losses for physical and emotional pain,
suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, mental anguish, disfigurement,
loss of enjoyment of life, loss of society and companionship, loss of
consortium (other than loss of domestic service), hedonic damages, injury to
reputation, and all other non-pecuniary losses of any kind or nature;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id4EEDF589A1D742C28AEC040634E6AFCA"><enum>(7)</enum><text>the term
<term>supplemental declaration</term> means a declaration under section 108
regarding the scope of a declared disaster; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="ID5584c33355d741a68d0336d46018bf74"><enum>(8)</enum><text>the term
<term>State</term> means each of the several States of the United States, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, any
other territory or possession of the United States, and any political
subdivision of any such State, territory, or possession.</text>
</paragraph></section><section id="id835BB6E5CEF345FFBAD49145F4118144"><enum>102.</enum><header>Liability of
disaster relief volunteers</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Except as provided in section 109, a
disaster relief volunteer shall not be liable for harm caused by an act or
omission of the volunteer that is within the scope of the activities of the
volunteer to provide or facilitate the provision of disaster relief services in
connection with a declared disaster if—</text>
<paragraph id="ID9a28692e515f420887f3d5759ac81257"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the harm was not
caused by willful, knowing, or reckless misconduct by the volunteer; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="ID63f0adb993ca48c3a0204434c872124d"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the harm was not
caused by the volunteer operating a motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft, or other
vehicle for which the State requires the operator or the owner of the vehicle,
craft, or vessel to—</text>
<subparagraph id="ID4704f2fd36d34ba58b3cd13467a967a9"><enum>(A)</enum><text>possess an
operator's license; or</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="IDb7a3999d82504aafa5a96e1e15cfc59a"><enum>(B)</enum><text>maintain
insurance.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></section><section id="IDc6e54d4df1ca47c1b098872f503466a5"><enum>103.</enum><header>Liability of
employer or partner of disaster relief volunteer</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Except as provided in section 109, an
employer or business partner of a disaster relief volunteer shall not be liable
for any act or omission of such volunteer within the scope of the activities of
the volunteer to provide or facilitate the provision of disaster relief
services in connection with a declared disaster.</text>
</section><section id="IDbca0c68be9cf4b83b579f418ca3c78a5"><enum>104.</enum><header>Liability of
host or enabling person, entity, or organization</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Except as provided in section 109, a person,
entity, or organization, including a governmental or intergovernmental entity,
that works with, accepts services from, or opens its facilities to a disaster
relief volunteer to enable the volunteer to render disaster relief services in
connection with a declared disaster shall not be liable for any act or omission
of a disaster relief volunteer.</text>
</section><section id="IDaad5b6470de2444196247d0886d9cefc"><enum>105.</enum><header>Liability of
governmental and intergovernmental entities for donations of disaster relief
goods</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Except as provided in
section 109, a governmental or intergovernmental entity that donates disaster
relief goods to an agency or instrumentality of the United States in connection
with a declared disaster shall not be liable for harm caused by such donated
goods if the harm was not caused by willful, knowing, or reckless misconduct by
the governmental or intergovernmental entity.</text>
</section><section id="id4C2B88884CCB42F1A66CAB619A7E6B9D"><enum>106.</enum><header>Limitation on
punitive and non-economic damages based on actions of disaster relief
volunteers and governmental or intergovernmental donors</header>
<subsection id="ID717009dc4c6b401cad79bd9af8fe5e43"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Punitive
Damages</header><text>Except as provided in section 109, punitive damages may
not be awarded in any civil action against a disaster relief volunteer or
governmental or intergovernmental entity unless a claimant establishes by clear
and convincing evidence that the damages to the claimant were proximately
caused by willful, knowing, or reckless misconduct by either—</text>
<paragraph id="id5B9F207EB2384C62B11ABD458F92E81D"><enum>(1)</enum><text>a disaster relief
volunteer in an action brought for harm caused by the activities of the
volunteer to provide or facilitate the provision of disaster relief services in
connection with a declared disaster; or</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id3F10EBBDF3ED42E3A881168263BA8C0A"><enum>(2)</enum><text>a governmental or
intergovernmental entity for harm caused by disaster relief goods donated by
such governmental or intergovernmental entity in connection with a declared
disaster.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ID3dfda2922b4c4766a62ab4a44eede5e2"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Non-economic
damages</header>
<paragraph id="ID7ed7e431f1f144fd847b80a429e1e163"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Except as provided in section 109, liability for
non-economic loss in any civil action brought against either a disaster relief
volunteer for harm caused the activities of the volunteer to provide or
facilitate the provision of disaster relief services in connection with a
declared disaster, or a governmental or intergovernmental entity for harm
caused by disaster relief goods donated by such governmental or
intergovernmental entity in connection with a declared disaster, if permitted
under section 102 or section 105, shall be determined in accordance with
paragraph (2).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="ID00ad866553954aada51d8989cd72cfc6"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Amount of
liability</header>
<subparagraph id="IDd020754f22fd4d639677ce3ac3df3c0e"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>The amount of damages for non-economic loss allocated to
a disaster relief volunteer or governmental or intergovernmental entity
defendant shall be in direct proportion to the percentage of responsibility of
that defendant, determined in accordance with subparagraph (B), for the harm to
the claimant with respect to which that defendant is liable.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="ID5da4ec1a0ede4b579e0d126e31036d8b"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Percentage</header><text>In
a civil action described in paragraph (1), for purposes of determining the
amount of non-economic loss, the trier of fact shall determine the percentage
of responsibility of each defendant found liable for harm to the
claimant.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id9FA75A2FE016453EB00728B5C9F08621"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Separate
judgments</header><text>The court shall render a separate judgment against each
defendant for any non-economic loss.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="idBCEAD77C3EA74C779BF1F4BAAD6BD5EE"><enum>107.</enum><header>Judicial
review of allegations</header>
<subsection id="id32AA4522FF384AD6B2BFC6ED1DC895E0"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>A claimant in a civil action for an act or omission
subject to the limitations of liability under this title shall attach 1 or more
sworn affidavits or documents containing admissible evidence of an act or
omission outside the limitations of section 102, 103, 104, or 105.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6C47AC62F49C4E65BA952570F4BAAF39"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Initial
review</header><text>Before allowing a civil action described in subsection (a)
to proceed into discovery, the trial judge shall determine whether, as a matter
of law, the evidence submitted is sufficient to raise a genuine issue of
material fact.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="ID90ac20d3687a4ee9ad2144ec4e199eb1"><enum>108.</enum><header>Supplemental
declaration</header>
<subsection id="idF3998923E6A0428BA9465E8964265810"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In the event of a
declared disaster, the President, the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
or the Secretary of Homeland Security may issue a supplemental
declaration.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="id8C5F447635D2482BB4D73726EA2DA911"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Temporal
effect</header><text>A supplemental declaration may provide that, for purposes
of this title, such declared disaster shall have such temporal effect as the
President or the Secretary may deem necessary or appropriate to further the
public interest, including providing that such declared disaster shall have an
effective date earlier than the date of the declaration or determination of
such declared disaster.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idF3D253925E6544B8B0ECC0F55FDD3018"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Geographic and
other conditions</header><text>A supplemental declaration may provide that, for
purposes of this title, such declared disaster shall have such geographic or
other conditions as the President or the relevant Secretary may deem necessary
or appropriate to further the public interest.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="id78683CF3ECEC4076A7D62B8F94C90686"><enum>109.</enum><header>Election of
State regarding nonapplicability</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">A provision of this title shall not apply to
any civil action in a State court against a person in which all parties are
citizens of the State if such State enacts a statute—</text>
<paragraph id="id3F52BA92DEF04F4CA36A9C6532DDCEFE"><enum>(1)</enum><text>citing the
authority of this title;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="idD918F94A22B446328F1C053C73EB4EE0"><enum>(2)</enum><text>declaring the
election of such State that such provision shall not apply to such civil action
in the State; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id895C4E608E10464D8AD15D72E2E5EF73"><enum>(3)</enum><text>containing no
other provisions.</text>
</paragraph></section><section id="IDb95ada4704f44761bd64fd9a26c01807"><enum>110.</enum><header>Construction</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Nothing in this title shall be construed to
abrogate or limit any protection that a volunteer, as defined in section 6(6)
of the Volunteer Protection Act (42 U.S.C. 14505(6)), may be entitled to under
that Act. Neither shall anything in this title be construed to confer any
private right of action or to abrogate or limit any protection with respect to
either liability or damages that any person may be entitled to under any other
provision of law.</text>
</section><enum>II</enum><header>Volunteer
protection improvements</header>
<section id="idF3BBEAAD548B4F0DABB690B83D84C2D9"><enum>201.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this title—</text>
<paragraph id="idA8F9A6E717C54C789F7F0083015BE95A"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the term
<term>aircraft</term> has the meaning given that term in section 40102(6) of
title 49, United States Code;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="idD753C73D085B4B6C9D7E33A271F11B93"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the term
<term>equipment</term> includes mechanical equipment, electronic equipment, and
office equipment;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id6E852EBF32A94B83971E810E96518D72"><enum>(3)</enum><text>the term
<term>facility</term> means any real property, including any building,
improvement, or appurtenance;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id8D069F05B4F54EE88344629B33105B37"><enum>(4)</enum><text>the term
<term>motor vehicle</term> has the meaning given that term in section 30102(6)
of title 49, United States Code;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id1685C1CBD2ED4E32829FD56E3D0E2285"><enum>(5)</enum><text>the term
<term>nonprofit organization</term> means—</text>
<subparagraph id="idB993E7D835234160AAC27318BEAE2C87"><enum>(A)</enum><text>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</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id76C31CD48681488FA10ADE39048D6269"><enum>(B)</enum><text>any
not-for-profit organization organized and conducted for public benefit and
operated primarily for charitable, civic, educational, religious, welfare, or
health purposes;</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id6FC372E6BDD8428A9725EB74F842C3FA"><enum>(6)</enum><text>the term
<term>person</term> includes any governmental or other entity; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idB984C6612BD64116827F596938177791"><enum>(7)</enum><text>the term
<term>State</term> means each of the several States, the District of Columbia,
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, any other territory or possession
of the United States, or any political subdivision of any such State,
territory, or possession.</text>
</paragraph></section><section id="idD4D4C052911047AFA72AE2112B3A50F1" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>202.</enum><header>Liability protection
for actions of volunteers generally</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 4 of the Volunteer Protection Act of
1997 (42 U.S.C. 14503) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="idF896ABEB39A64381954E476FDBF587DE"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (a)(3), by striking
<quote>willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless
misconduct</quote> and inserting the following: <quote>willful, knowing, or
reckless misconduct</quote>;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id566BDE93ABD94592BFBB25CF97E7C10E"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking subsection (c) and inserting
the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id978BA9495B03460E819F2802FBFBE5A6" style="OLC">
<subsection id="id1249169085C746B4ADE671965C45B19A"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Effect on
liability of nonprofit organizations</header><text>No nonprofit organization
shall be liable for the acts or omissions of a volunteer with respect to harm
caused to any person unless—</text>
<paragraph id="id56383116FC0249199D3A1F282033FA65"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the acts or
omissions of the volunteer are not subject to the limitations on liability
under subsection (a); and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id20639843B61F4CBB9A20B6B170323C3A"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the nonprofit
organization has willfully disregarded or been recklessly indifferent to the
reasonable expectations or safety of the individual harmed by the
volunteer.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>;
and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="idD900158069554A07AA77092F44B4B808"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by adding at the
end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id52520CD84EC4485189B39EECA3A8DA2A" style="OLC">
<subsection id="idF510689316804DA485CDF9C7593A37B1"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Judicial review
of allegations</header>
<paragraph id="id47B84B98360E4506BABC5636E1F8C9B2"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>A claimant in a civil action for an act or omission
subject to the limitations of liability under this Act shall attach 1 or more
sworn affidavits or documents containing admissible evidence of an act or
omission outside the limitations of subsection (a), (c), (e)(1), or
(f)(1).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idDB4EB63913284C85A5A9E62B6DAFF90C"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Initial
review</header><text>Before allowing a civil action described in paragraph (1)
to proceed into discovery, the trial judge shall determine whether, as a matter
of law, the evidence submitted is sufficient to raise a genuine issue of
material
fact.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></section><section id="idF4697A3A84484DD7805D2725E9B07EF0" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>203.</enum><header>Charitable donations
liability reform for in-kind contributions</header>
<subsection id="ID1E0EAD6C40034054AEB2648926DE5ABC"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header>
<paragraph id="ID973FD9EA0D6640A6A6853A8FBBEE839B"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Liability for
donations of equipment to nonprofit organizations</header>
<subparagraph id="IDCA63FCE41D3941C785F65437FED3418A"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Except as provided in subsection (b), a person shall not
be subject to civil liability relating to any injury or death that results from
the use of equipment donated by such person to a nonprofit organization.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="IDF21A9B9914914D6B8B5AC28DF39B51B7"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Application</header><text>This
paragraph shall apply with respect to civil liability under Federal and State
law.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ID6C6C1E8222E141A8A67A974C1B157B39"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Liability for
providing use of facilities to nonprofit organizations</header>
<subparagraph id="IDA21D64C9954C4E728DCE31D105ED920C"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Except as provided in subsection (b), a person shall not
be subject to civil liability relating to any injury or death occurring at a
facility owned or operated by the person in connection with a use of such
facility by a nonprofit organization, if—</text>
<clause id="IDFEAB223033224038A7FD688DB2813369"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the
use occurs outside of the normal use of the facility by the person;</text>
</clause><clause id="ID0C253CC233F94FF196E930257C8CF2DF"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>such injury or
death occurs during a period that such facility is used by the nonprofit
organization; and</text>
</clause><clause id="ID98A05FCFABA4452A963481AE5FD7AECE"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>the person
authorized the use of such facility by the nonprofit organization.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="IDE43E2D0D93FC47E78D04110AF32530CB"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Application</header><text>This
paragraph shall apply—</text>
<clause id="IDB983A61088A14C10847FD0612DC38EAA"><enum>(i)</enum><text>with respect to
civil liability under Federal and State law; and</text>
</clause><clause id="ID77BB4DCA55BF422384C692D603837BCA"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>regardless of
whether a nonprofit organization pays for the use of a facility.</text>
</clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="IDCFD8B45F4667440ABCF274411182400D"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Liability for
providing use of a motor vehicle or aircraft</header>
<subparagraph id="IDA7E505A655684027843974C43F690D96"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Except as provided in subsection (b), a person shall not
be subject to civil liability relating to any injury or death occurring as a
result of the operation of an aircraft or a motor vehicle the person loaned to
a nonprofit organization, if—</text>
<clause id="idDF1708F46C084AFB9E1FB3BAE99F3BFA"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the
use occurs outside of the normal use of the aircraft or motor vehicle by the
person;</text>
</clause><clause id="ID96FDF339B35B431893305485555FFDBE"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>such injury or
death occurs during a period that such motor vehicle or aircraft is used by a
nonprofit organization; and</text>
</clause><clause id="ID0E85E00C58964FBEA5467FA076889557"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>the person
authorized the use by the nonprofit organization of motor vehicle or aircraft
that resulted in the injury or death.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="IDE691A617125748F9BC278F42B34EFCD0"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Application</header><text>This
paragraph shall apply—</text>
<clause id="ID3363CBCC85EA450887692495D68E0D0A"><enum>(i)</enum><text>with respect to
civil liability under Federal and State law; and</text>
</clause><clause id="ID265302CE362B41C398788E407773C8D9"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>regardless of
whether a nonprofit organization pays for the use of the aircraft or motor
vehicle.</text>
</clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ID1FC845AA168241EA87E3DAF8ED578E1D"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Exceptions</header><text>Subsection
(a) shall not apply to an injury or death that results from an act or omission
of a person that constitutes willful, knowing, or reckless misconduct.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="id1A0FE64333EF470C8903C0BAB54096CC"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Judicial review
of allegations</header>
<paragraph id="id0F052359C35F47BFA263966A51BBBFD4"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>A claimant in a civil action for an act or omission
subject to the limitations of liability under this section shall attach 1 or
more sworn affidavits or documents containing admissible evidence of an act or
omission outside the limitations of subsection (a).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id28625FB8C7A64B00BD915E464D31A0E9"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Initial
review</header><text>Before allowing a civil action described in paragraph (1)
to proceed into discovery, the trial judge shall determine whether, as a matter
of law, the evidence submitted is sufficient to raise a genuine issue of
material fact.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ID5427C84DE1D44889841C3746071B5B1D"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Superseding
provision</header>
<paragraph id="IDC9E7830961F24B6193FE87E6A8896B80"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Except as provided in paragraph (2) and subsection (e),
this section preempts the laws of any State to the extent that such laws are
inconsistent with this section, except that this section shall not preempt any
State law that provides additional protection for a person for an injury or
death described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a) with respect to
which the conditions specified in such paragraph apply.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="ID7066FBB8AA324D67B23003971F9D4296"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Limitation</header><text>Nothing
in this section shall be construed to supersede any Federal or State health or
safety law.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="IDF46C0FB576F04B9982C7D9AC25C4D69A"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Election of
State regarding nonapplicability</header><text>A provision of this section
shall not apply to any civil action in a State court against a person in which
all parties are citizens of the State if such State enacts a statute—</text>
<paragraph id="IDBC14A9EB8AE849368E89600DE2093784"><enum>(1)</enum><text>citing the
authority of this section;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="IDAA50795F0BFE4A63BCDD5619EA57A1E0"><enum>(2)</enum><text>declaring the
election of such State that such provision shall not apply to such civil action
in the State; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="ID67D430610C944D38BA45834F439CAF4F"><enum>(3)</enum><text>containing no
other provisions.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ID4EB7C654F83A42D8940802C93272A6DB"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Effective
date</header><text>This section shall apply to liability for injury or death
caused by equipment donated, facilities used, or aircraft or motor vehicles
loaned on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.</text>
</subsection></section>