Opinion ID: 1318702
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Standards of Construction and Review.

Text: The Idaho legislature's adoption of the Idaho Tort Claims Act (Idaho Act), 1971 Idaho Sess.Laws ch. 150, §§ 1-31, p. 743, has been observed to be patterned largely on the Federal Tort Claims Act (Federal Act), 28 U.S.C. §§ 1346(b), 2671-2680 (1976 & Supp. V. 1981). Dunbar, 100 Idaho at 530, 602 P.2d at 28. A statute which is adopted from another jurisdiction will be presumed to be adopted with the prior construction placed upon it by the courts of such other jurisdiction. Nixon v. Tribes, 100 Idaho 198, 200, 595 P.2d 1093, 1095 (1979), quoted in Odenwalt v. Zaring, 102 Idaho 1, 5, 624 P.2d 383, 387 (1981); see also Doe v. Durtschi, 110 Idaho 466, 472 n. 2, 716 P.2d 1238, 1244 n. 2 (1986); and Dunbar, supra, 100 Idaho at 530, 602 P.2d at 28. Consequently, we look with particular interest to pre-1971 federal case law in our pursuit of the legislature's intent. The Idaho Tort Claims Act provides: 6-903. Liability of governmental entitiesDefense of employees.(a) Except as otherwise provided in this act, every governmental entity is subject to liability for money damages arising out of its negligent or otherwise wrongful acts or omissions and those of its employees acting within the course and scope of their employment or duties, whether arising out of a governmental or proprietary function, where the governmental entity if a private person or entity would be liable for money damages under the laws of the state of Idaho, provided that the governmental entity is subject to liability only for the pro rata share of the total damages awarded in favor of a claimant which is attributable to the negligent or otherwise wrongful acts or omissions of the governmental entity or its employees. (Emphasis added.) The similar provisions of the Federal Tort Claims Act (the first jurisdictional in nature) in pertinent part are: 28 U.S.C. § 1346 ... (b) Subject to the provisions of chapter 171 of this title, the district courts, ... shall have exclusive jurisdiction of civil actions on claims against the United States, for money damages, accruing on and after January 1, 1945, for injury or loss of property, or personal injury or death caused by the negligent or wrongful act or omission of any employee of the Government while acting within the scope of his office or employment, under circumstances where the United States, if a private person, would be liable to the claimant in accordance with the law of the place where the act or omission occurred. (Emphasis added.) 28 U.S.C. § 2674 The United States shall be liable ... in the same manner and to the same extent as a private individual under like circumstances.... This case involves the above provisions and the so-called discretionary function exceptions to liability. That exception is found in the following sections of the Idaho and Federal Acts: I.C. § 6-904. Exceptions to governmental liability.A governmental entity and its employees while acting within the course and scope of their employment and without malice or criminal intent shall not be liable for any claim which: (1) Arises out of any act or omission of an employee of the governmental entity exercising ordinary care, in reliance upon or the execution or performance of a statutory or regulatory function, whether or not the statute or regulation be valid, or based upon the exercise or performance or the failure to exercise or perform a discretionary function or duty on the part of a governmental entity or employee thereof, whether or not the discretion be abused. 28 U.S.C. § 2680 The provisions of this chapter and section 1346(b) of this title shall not apply to (a) Any claim based upon an act or omission of an employee of the Government, exercising due care, in the execution of a statute or regulation, whether or not such statute or regulation be valid, or based upon the exercise or performance or the failure to exercise or perform a discretionary function or duty on the part of a federal agency or an employee of the Government, whether or not the discretion involved be abused. The purpose of both acts is to provide much-needed relief to those suffering injury from the negligence of government employees. United States v. Muniz, 374 U.S. 150, 165, 83 S.Ct. 1850, 1859, 10 L.Ed.2d 805 (1963). Idaho's act is to be construed liberally and `with a view to accomplishing [its] aims and purposes, and attaining substantial justice....' Farber v. State, 102 Idaho 398, 402, 630 P.2d 685, 689 (1981), quoting Keenan v. Price, 68 Idaho 423, 438, 195 P.2d 662, 670 (1948); see also Idaho Const., art. 1, § 18; I.C. § 73-102(1). Consistent with such purposes, the Idaho Act makes liability the rule with certain specific exceptions. Durtschi, supra, 110 Idaho at 471, 716 P.2d at 1243; Richards v. United States, 369 U.S. 1, 6, 82 S.Ct. 585, 589, 7 L.Ed.2d 492 (1962); Jackson v. City of Kansas City, 235 Kan. 278, 680 P.2d 877, 886 (1984); Jones v. State Highway Comm'n, 557 S.W.2d 225, 230 (Mo.1977); Ramos v. County of Madera, 4 Cal.3d 685, 94 Cal.Rptr. 421, 484 P.2d 93, 98 (Cal.1971). There is no justification for this Court to read exemptions into the Act beyond those provided by [the legislature]. Rayonier, Inc. v. United States, 352 U.S. 315, 320, 77 S.Ct. 374, 377, 1 L.Ed.2d 354 (1957), quoted in Muniz, supra, 374 U.S. at 166, 83 S.Ct. at 1859. Those exceptions which are expressly stated must be closely construed. Kosak v. United States, 465 U.S. 848, 104 S.Ct. 1519, 1523 n. 9, 79 L.Ed.2d 860 (1984) (We think that the proper objective of a court attempting to construe one of the subsections of 28 U.S.C. § 2680 [exceptions to the Federal Act] is to identify `those circumstances which are within the words and reason of the exception'no less and no more. [ Quoting Dalehite v. United States, 346 U.S. 15, 31, 73 S.Ct. 956, 965, 97 L.Ed. 1427 (1953).] [Citations omitted.]