IB 
Union Calendar No. 418 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1084 
[Report No. 108–679] 
To provide liability protection to nonprofit volunteer pilot organizations flying 
for public benefit and to the pilots and staff of such organizations. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 5, 2003 
Mr. SCHROCK (for himself, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. GOODE, Mr. KIRK, Mr. TAYLOR 
of Mississippi, and Mr. FORBES) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
SEPTEMBER 13, 2004 
Additional 
sponsors: 
Mr. 
STEARNS, 
Mr. 
MILLER
of 
Florida, 
Mr. 
CUNNINGHAM, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. MUR-
PHY, Ms. HART, Mr. WAMP, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. STENHOLM, 
Mr. CARTER, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin, 
Mr. TIBERI, Mr. EHLERS, Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico, Mr. SHIMKUS, 
Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. UPTON, and Mr. COBLE 
SEPTEMBER 13, 2004 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 5, 2003] 
A BILL 
To provide liability protection to nonprofit volunteer pilot 
organizations flying for public benefit and to the pilots 
and staff of such organizations.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Volunteer Pilot Organi-
zation Protection Act of 2004’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Scores of public benefit nonprofit volunteer 
pilot organizations provide valuable services to com-
munities and individuals. 
(2) In calendar year 2001, nonprofit volunteer 
pilot organizations provided long-distance, no-cost 
transportation for over 30,000 people in times of spe-
cial need. 
(3) Such organizations are no longer able to rea-
sonably purchase non-owned aircraft liability insur-
ance to provide liability protection, and thus face a 
highly detrimental liability risk. 
(4) Such organizations have supported the inter-
ests of homeland security by providing volunteer pilot 
services at times of national emergency. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to promote 
the activities of nonprofit volunteer pilot organizations fly-
ing for public benefit and to sustain the availability of the 
services that such organizations provide, including trans-
portation at no cost to financially needy medical patients 
for medical treatment, evaluation, and diagnosis, as well 
as other flights of compassion and flights for humanitarian 
and charitable purposes. 
SEC. 3. LIABILITY PROTECTION FOR NONPROFIT VOLUN-
TEER PILOT ORGANIZATIONS FLYING FOR 
PUBLIC BENEFIT AND TO PILOTS AND STAFF 
OF SUCH ORGANIZATIONS. 
Section 4 of the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (42 
U.S.C. 14503) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(4)— 
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) 
and (B) as (i) and (ii), respectively; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(4)’’; 
(C) by striking the period at the end and 
inserting ‘‘; or’’ and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) the harm was caused by a volunteer of a 
nonprofit volunteer pilot organization that flies for 
public benefit, while the volunteer was flying in fur-
therance of the purpose of the organization and was 
operating an aircraft for which the volunteer was 
properly licensed and insured.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘Nothing’’; 
and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a nonprofit vol-
unteer pilot organization that flies for public benefit, and 
the staff, mission coordinators, officers, and directors 
(whether volunteer or otherwise) of such organization or a 
referring agency of such organization, shall not be liable 
with respect to harm caused to any person by a volunteer 
of such organization, while the volunteer is flying in fur-
therance of the purpose of the organization and is operating 
an aircraft for which the volunteer is properly licensed and 
has certified to such organization that such volunteer has 
in force insurance for operating such aircraft.’’. 
SEC. 4. REPORT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Attorney General shall 
carry out a study on the availability of insurance to non-
profit volunteer pilot organizations that fly for public ben-
efit. In carrying out the study, the Attorney General shall 
make findings with respect to— 
(1) whether nonprofit volunteer pilot organiza-
tions are able to obtain insurance; 
(2) if no, then why;
(3) if yes, then on what terms such insurance is 
offered; and 
(4) if the inability of nonprofit volunteer pilot 
organizations to obtain insurance has any impact on 
the associations’ ability to operate. 
(b) REPORT.—After completing the study, the Attorney 
General shall submit to Congress a report on the results 
of the study. The report shall include the findings of the 
study and any conclusions and recommendations that the 
Attorney General considers appropriate.