[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 25 (Monday, June 23, 1997)]
[Pages 911-912]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997

June 19, 1997

    I have signed into law S. 543, the ``Volunteer Protection Act of 
1997,'' which will provide volunteers working for nonprofit and 
governmental entities certain protections from civil liability. Through 
citizen service, Americans recognize that we are responsible for one 
another and that we are members of a true community. All levels of 
government should encourage citizens to volunteer for service. This bill 
is a small part of what the Federal Government is doing to help our 
citizens serve as volunteers.
    This legislation is a limited and targeted bill that deals with the 
specific concerns of individuals serving our communities without 
compensation. It preserves for the States, the traditional source of 
tort law, not only the ability to opt out of the bill's provisions in 
most cases, but also the right to require proper licensing and evidence 
of financial responsibility. It is important to note that none of the 
bill's limitations on liability will apply to misconduct that 
constitutes a crime of violence, an act of international terrorism, or a 
hate crime, or to misconduct that involves intoxication, drug use, a 
sexual offense, or the violation of any State or Federal civil rights 
laws. The bill does not apply to actions on behalf of any organization 
that engages in hate crimes. Also, S. 543 does not interfere with State 
law regarding the liability of volunteer organizations.
    I remain concerned, however, that S. 543 contains both an absolute 
prohibition on joint and several liability of volunteers for noneconomic 
damages and elements of one-way preemption of State law. These are both 
modifications of tort law that make it harder for innocent injured 
parties to recover. I emphasize that my signing this specialized and 
limited bill, which is designed to promote individual citizen service, 
in no way mitigates the concern about these issues that I raised in my 
veto message on the product liability bill presented to me last year 
(H.R. 956, 104th Congress).
    On balance, however, S. 543 will encourage volunteer citizen service 
without unduly

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affecting the rights of citizens who benefit from such service. I am 
pleased to have signed the bill.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
June 19, 1997.

Note: S. 543, approved June 19, was assigned Public Law No. 105-19.