Source: https://recreation-law.com/2015/03/09/federal-volunteer-immunity-act/
Timestamp: 2018-01-18 09:43:25
Document Index: 477152744

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 14501', '§ 14502', '§ 14503', '§ 14504', '§ 14505', '§ 14501', '§ 14501', '§ 14502', '§ 14501', '§ 14501', '§ 14501', '§ 14501', '§ 14501', '§ 14503', '§ 14501', '§ 14504', '§ 14505', '§ 14501', '§ 501', '§ 501']

Federal Volunteer Immunity Act | Recreation Law
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Federal Volunteer Immunity Act
Posted: March 9, 2015 | Author: Recreation Law | Filed under: Statutes, Volunteers | Tags: Federal Volunteer Immunity Act, Volunteer, Volunteer Immunity |Leave a comment
§ 14501. Findings and purpose. 1
§ 14502. Preemption and election of State nonapplicability. 3
§ 14503. Limitation on liability for volunteers. 4
§ 14504. Liability for noneconomic loss. 7
§ 14505. Definitions. 8
§ 14501. Findings and purpose
(a) Findings. The Congress finds and declares that–
(D) (i) liability reform for volunteers, will promote the free flow of goods and services, lessen burdens on interstate commerce and uphold constitutionally protected due process rights; and
(b) Purpose. The purpose of this Act [42 USCS §§ 14501 et seq.] is to promote the interests of social service program beneficiaries and taxpayers and to sustain the availability of programs, nonprofit organizations, and governmental entities that depend on volunteer contributions by reforming the laws to provide certain protections from liability abuses related to volunteers serving nonprofit organizations and governmental entities.
§ 14502. Preemption and election of State nonapplicability
(a) Preemption. This Act [42 USCS §§ 14501 et seq.] preempts the laws of any State to the extent that such laws are inconsistent with this Act [42 USCS §§ 14501 et seq.], except that this Act [42 USCS §§ 14501 et seq.] shall not preempt any State law that provides additional protection from liability relating to volunteers or to any category of volunteers in the performance of services for a nonprofit organization or governmental entity.
(b) Election of State regarding nonapplicability. This Act [42 USCS §§ 14501 et seq.] shall not apply to any civil action in a State court against a volunteer in which all parties are citizens of the State if such State enacts a statute in accordance with State requirements for enacting legislation–
(2) declaring the election of such State that this Act [42 USCS §§ 14501 et seq.] shall not apply, as of a date certain, to such civil action in the State; and
§ 14503. Limitation on liability for volunteers
(a) Liability protection for volunteers. Except as provided in subsections (b) and (d), no volunteer of a nonprofit organization or governmental entity shall be liable for harm caused by an act or omission of the volunteer on behalf of the organization or entity if–
(b) Concerning responsibility of volunteers to organizations and entities. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any civil action brought by any nonprofit organization or any governmental entity against any volunteer of such organization or entity.
(c) No effect on liability of organization or entity. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the liability of any nonprofit organization or governmental entity with respect to harm caused to any person.
(d) Exceptions to volunteer liability protection. If the laws of a State limit volunteer liability subject to one or more of the following conditions, such conditions shall not be construed as inconsistent with this section:
(e) Limitation on punitive damages based on the actions of volunteers.
(1) General rule. Punitive damages may not be awarded against a volunteer in an action brought for harm based on the action of a volunteer acting within the scope of the volunteer’s responsibilities to a nonprofit organization or governmental entity unless the claimant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the harm was proximately caused by an action of such volunteer which constitutes willful or criminal misconduct, or a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed.
(2) Construction. Paragraph (1) does not create a cause of action for punitive damages and does not preempt or supersede any Federal or State law to the extent that such law would further limit the award of punitive damages.
(f) Exceptions to limitations on liability.
(1) In general. The limitations on the liability of a volunteer under this Act [42 USCS §§ 14501 et seq.] shall not apply to any misconduct that–
(2) Rule of construction. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to effect subsection (a)(3) or (e).
§ 14504. Liability for noneconomic loss
(a) General rule. In any civil action against a volunteer, based on an action of a volunteer acting within the scope of the volunteer’s responsibilities to a nonprofit organization or governmental entity, the liability of the volunteer for noneconomic loss shall be determined in accordance with subsection (b).
(b) Amount of liability.
(1) In general. Each defendant who is a volunteer, shall be liable only for the amount of noneconomic loss allocated to that defendant in direct proportion to the percentage of responsibility of that defendant (determined in accordance with paragraph (2)) for the harm to the claimant with respect to which that defendant is liable. The court shall render a separate judgment against each defendant in an amount determined pursuant to the preceding sentence.
(2) Percentage of responsibility. For purposes of determining the amount of noneconomic loss allocated to a defend-ant who is a volunteer under this section, the trier of fact shall determine the percentage of responsibility of that defendant for the claimant’s harm.
§ 14505. Definitions
For purposes of this Act [42 USCS §§ 14501 et seq.]:
(1) Economic loss. The term “economic loss” means any pecuniary loss resulting from harm (including the loss of earnings or other benefits related to employment, medical expense loss, replacement services loss, loss due to death, burial costs, and loss of business or employment opportunities) to the extent recovery for such loss is allowed under applicable State law.
(2) Harm. The term “harm” includes physical, nonphysical, economic, and noneconomic losses.
(3) Noneconomic losses. The term “noneconomic losses” means losses for physical and emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, mental anguish, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of society and companionship, loss of consortium (other than loss of domestic service), hedonic damages, injury to reputation and all other nonpecuniary losses of any kind or nature.
(4) Nonprofit organization. The term “nonprofit organization” means–
(A) any organization which is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [26 USCS § 501(c)(3)] and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code [26 USCS § 501(a)] and which does not practice any action which constitutes a hate crime referred to in subsection (b)(1) of the first section of the Hate Crime Statistics Act (28 U.S.C. 534 note); or
(5) State. The term “State” means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, any other territory or possession of the United States, or any political subdivision of any such State, territory, or possession.
(6) Volunteer. The term “volunteer” means an individual performing services for a nonprofit organization or a governmental entity who does not receive–
(B) any other thing of value in lieu of compensation, in excess of $ 500 per year, and such term includes a volunteer serving as a director, officer, trustee, or direct service volunteer.