### QBffice of tfy !Zlttornep @enera iMate of &exaii
March 16, 1993 DAN MORALES

. ATTORSEY

GESERAL MsMarysapP

. ExecutiveDirector Texas Department on Aging P.O. Box 12786 Austin, Texas 78711 Opiion No. DM-206
Re: Whether the Human Resources Code section 101.063provides immunity to vohmteer ombudsmen in the Texas Department on Aging long term care o~-program w-w Dedr Ms. sapp: You seek clariftcation of Attorney General Opiion DM-173 (1992) which addresses the immunbyof vohmteer ombudsmenin the Texas Department on Aginglong term care ombudsmanprogram. In that opinionwe concludedthat volunteer ombudsmen pardcipating in the program are immunefrom suit while in the good faith performanceof their officialduties. Hum.Res. Code 5 101.063.
You have informedus that prior to becoming a certhkd volunteer ombudsman individualsroutinely serve a three month internshipunder the supervisionof a professional staffperson or an experiencedcutifkd voluatecr. You further state that the ombudsman progmn wntains a class ofvohmteers referred to as &iendlyvisitotn. Their tin&m is to visit residents in nursing fkcikies on an inddlnite basis. Friendlyvisitors do not perform complaint investigations and receive little or no supervision You ask if individuals aervingineitherofthesecategoriesare hnrnune6omauitasdkussedinAttomeyGeneral OphdonDM-173. Weamchrdethatthevohmteerssavingintheimem&ipprogmtnare hnnnmefiomaubforcivildamagesorcrhmnalpro~ontieinthecourseofgood full peIfolmancc of their officialduties.
Human Resomces Code chapter 101. subchapter C. created the State of Texas Long Term Care Ombudsman O&e. Hum. Res. Code glOl.052. Chapter 101, plkbrptac,ansrdoptsdtocontormtheLwrofthis~etathe~ofthe federal Older AmericansAct of 1965 (“the act”). Id. 5 101.053(a). The act rquires that states participating in plans to monitor the provision of health and social s&ces for the daiyestablishastatelongtermcuro~ progmn. 42 USC. 5 3021 et sq. In pursuit of its responsibiities, the office of the ombudsman is authorized to recruit volunteers and citizens’organizations to participate in the ombudsmanprogram. Hum.

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Rcs. Code $101.056(a); 40 T.&C. 5 299.9(b)(S)- (6); (c)(l); (8).’ Section 101.056 of theHuman- code provides:

(a) The office shall recruit vohmteers and citkun organidons toparticipateintkombudsmanprogram. Aprddsta!Tmembmofrn areaagencyonagingnetworkoranonprofitsocialserviceagency mrybemombudmm. Anomh&manisampr~~the o#ce. (b) The oaice shall provide training to ombudsmen as required by this subchaptw and fedml law.’ @Zmpbasis added.] The fedual Older heri- Act of 1965 liuther provided that “[t]he Stste will ensure that no repwentutive [ofthe office ofthe State Long Term Que Ombudsman] wiIl be liable under State law for the good faith perfomance of official duties.” 42 U.S.C. 5 3027(a)(12)0 (emphasis added). A repmmative is d&cd as standing or acting for another espedly through delegated authority. wIEB!mR~~NEw~GIA~ DIIXIONARY

1000 (1983). The tmn is interchangeablewith agent. BLACK’ ~ LAW DI~ONARY 1170 (5th ed. 1979). We concludethat as reprwtives of the of&c of the ombudsman,the interns are immunefrom suit while in the good faith performanceof their duties. Furthemmre, House Bill 541 of the 71st Legihture enacted Human Resow= Code chapter 101, subchapterC and section 101.062. The billan&h states in part:

ThefsdenIiawrcquiwesch~toprovidetbapogmmaceeastoresidentsofmusinghontmmdtopmvi& immunt~jbr whmteer andstqf. @mphasis added.] House Comrn. on Rethmqt and Aging, Bill Anaiyb, ‘ C.S.HB. 541, 7lst Leg. (1989) (byReps.llichdmandRobnett). whikitisdartbtintemspPticiprtiaeinthe prognm= imauneframsui&waareunclearwlmtlwtksameistnteforindividuelsMs.MarySapp - Page 3 (DH-206)

participating in the program as friendlyvisitors. You have not providedus with su5cient iahmation to address your question with regard to this group, therefon we shallreserve our response. You also ask whether the 05ce of the Attorney Generalwould be responsiblefor representation of the state ombudsman volunteer ombudsmen, interns and flkndly visitors

“in the event of legal action taken against them in their officialor individwl capachy.” Section 101.055 of the Human Resources Code provides that the Depatttnent on Aging shall ensure that the office of the ombudsman receives adequate legal advice and mmntation. Ftuthemtore, as an employee of the state, the ombudsmanis entitled to iii legal counsel of the attorney general. Cii. Prac. & Rem. Code 05 104.001,104.004. The Human Resources Code and the CivilPmctice and RemediesCode make no mention of attorney genetal representation for volunteers. However, we are of tbe opinionthat this office should provide legal counsel to designated representatives of the state ombudsmanas provided for in the 1992 amendmentsto the federal Older AmericansAct. Therefo~ we urge that you seek legislative claritkation of this matter by introducing amendments to chapter 101 of the Human Resources Code to reflect the 1992 amendmentsto the Older AmericansAct. In the absenceof suchlegislationwe are unable to provide a responseto your second inquiry.
SUMMARY Section 101.063of the HumanResources Code, whichprovides that an ombudsman is not liable for civil damages or subject to crimind prosecution for good faith acts perfomed in the course of his or her official duties, applies to interns in the vohmteer ombudsmanprogram. Tkstateoxhdsmmisenthledto&gal~~mthe o5ceoftheAttomeyGenerai. ThismpmsmWionwiuonlybe provided in instances where the action is being sought against the individualin his 05&l capacity.

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Attorney Generalof TexasMs.MarySapp - Page 4 (DM-206)

WILLPRYOR Fii Assistant Attorney Gcnd
MARYKELLER Deputy Attorney Oeneralfor Litigation
RENEAHIcKs State Solicitor
MADELEINEB. JOHNSON Chair, Opiion Committee Prepared by Toya C. Cook Assistant Attorney General

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