Opinion ID: 882504
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: statutory changes in the area of governmental immunity

Text: Absent from either the School District's or Koch's appellate briefs, but dispositive in this case, is the amended version of § 2-9-111, MCA. The amended statute essentially makes the parties' immunity arguments moot. The legislature amended the statute soon after our opinions of Crowell and Hedges, which, in essence, responded to our interpretation of § 2-9-111, MCA, as it existed at that time. The 1991 changes in the statute clarified legislative intent and our interpretation changed accordingly as explained in Dagel v. City of Great Falls (Mont. 1991), 819 P.2d 186, 48 St.Rep. 919. The legislature deemed the statute retroactive to all cases not final by May 24, 1991. Dagel, 819 P.2d at 191, 48 St.Rep. at 922. In the case at bar, the summary judgment granted in favor of the School District became final when Koch did not appeal within thirty days from the judgment. This was prior to the retroactive effective date of the amended statute which was May 24, 1991. However, according to our previous discussion of Rule 60(b)(6) herein, we have reopened the judgment which makes the status not final. Accordingly, the current, newly amended statute is now applicable, as interpreted in Dagel. Dagel is particularly germane since it deals with the amended statute which is the primary focus of the case at bar. We recite the purpose of the amended statute in Dagel as: AN ACT CLARIFYING THAT STATUTORY LEGISLATIVE IMMUNITY EXTENDS ONLY TO LEGISLATIVE BODIES OF GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES AND ONLY TO LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THOSE BODIES; CLARIFYING THAT GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES ARE NOT IMMUNE UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE IMMUNITY STATUTE FOR NONLEGISLATIVE ACTIONS; CLARIFYING THAT THE ACQUISITION OF INSURANCE DOES NOT WAIVE IMMUNITY; AMENDING SECTION 2-9-111, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE AND A RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY DATE. Dagel, 250 Mont. at 232-233, 819 P.2d at 191. Section 2-9-111, MCA (1991), significantly changed the statute and therefore modified the theories expressed in the various immunity cases as well as in Crowell with regard to insurance. First, under the new statute, a legislative body is not immune from the negligent acts of its employees. § 2-9-111(1)(c), MCA (1991). Second, the purchase of insurance does not waive immunity. § 2-9-111(4), MCA (1991). Dagel, 819 P.2d at 191, 48 St.Rep. at 922. [6, 7] According to Dagel the School District (the legislative body) is not immune for the negligent acts of its employees. Whether the teacher's acts amount to negligence in the case at bar is a question of fact which must be determined in a trial on the merits upon remand. Clearly, the teacher's acts of instructing Koch to squat-press 360 pounds of weight are not legislative acts and are not immune under the meaning of the current version of § 2-9-111, MCA. Both parties also make much out of the purchase of liability insurance because of our holding in Crowell where we said that the purchase of liability insurance should waive immunity to the extent of the insurance coverage. The new statute deals directly with the Crowell situation and states that the acquisition of insurance coverage, including self-insurance or group self-insurance, by a governmental entity does not waive the immunity provided by this section. Section 2-9-111(4) MCA (1991). This provision effectively overrules the Crowell line of cases regarding liability insurance, although the Crowell decision does give an excellent chronological history of governmental immunity that should not go unnoticed.