[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 125 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S10474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          GOOD SAMARITAN VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER ASSISTANCE ACT

  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I was going to talk about the Kerry 
health plan, but I will do that later. I want to talk briefly on the 
Good Samaritan Volunteer Firefighter Assistance Act. We have been 
trying to clear a provision that would allow more equipment--used 
equipment--to go to volunteer firefighters from companies all over the 
United States by giving a slight change in the liability standard for 
companies that donate this equipment.
  We have done this in the area of the Good Samaritan Food Donation 
Act, which resulted in billions and billions of dollars in additional 
food going out to hungry people in America. Nobody has been sued, by 
the way. What was sued under the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act--we 
were not taking money out of anyone's pocket with lawsuits. No one, to 
my knowledge, has been sued by donating firefighting equipment. Nobody 
is going to lose out--no lawyers--from lawsuits by this donation. It is 
an opportunity for companies that waste a lot of resources to be able 
to give back.

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