I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1871 
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 
APRIL 27, 2005 
Mrs. DRAKE (for herself, Mr. FORBES, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. GRAVES, Mr. 
KIRK, Ms. HART, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. TANNER, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. 
SESSIONS, Miss MCMORRIS, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. PRICE of Georgia, Mr. 
EHLERS, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. GOODE, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. 
SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. KUHL of New York, and Mr. 
TAYLOR of Mississippi) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary 
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 Orga-
nization Protection Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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(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 
special need. 
(3) Such organizations are no longer able to 
reasonably purchase non-owned aircraft liability in-
surance to provide liability protection, and thus face 
a highly detrimental liability risk. 
(4) Such organizations have supported the in-
terests 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 humani-
tarian and charitable purposes. 
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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 
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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 oper-
ating an aircraft for which the volunteer is properly li-
censed and has certified to such organization that such 
volunteer has in force insurance for operating such air-
craft.’’. 
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. 
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(b) REPORT.—After completing the study, the Attor-
ney General shall submit to Congress a report on the re-
sults of the study. The report shall include the findings 
of the study and any conclusions and recommendations 
that the Attorney General considers appropriate. 
Æ 
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