[16826] in APO-L
Volunteer Protection Act (fwd)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tom Brown)
Mon May 5 20:34:29 1997
Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 19:33:09 -0500
Reply-To: Tom Brown <tebrown@lonestar.jpl.utsa.edu>
From: Tom Brown <tebrown@lonestar.jpl.utsa.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 07:44:21 -0600
From: J Cravens <jayne@IMPACTONLINE.ORG>
To: CYBERVPM@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Volunteer Protection Act
Apologies to those of you who have already read this via ARNOVA:
>Sen. Abraham's Volunteer Protection Act Passes Senate
>
> Contact: Joe McMonigle of the Office of Sen. Spencer Abraham,
> 202-224-8833
>
> WASHINGTON, May 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- U.S. Sen. Spencer Abraham
>(R-Mich.) said he was pleased the Senate passed the Volunteer
>Protection Act, relieving volunteers from lawsuit abuse.
> The bill, which Abraham co-sponsored and helped write, passed by a
>near-unanimous 99-to-1 margin.
> "I'm glad my colleagues rose to support the cause of voluntarism
>in America. I urge President Clinton, in the strongest possible
>terms, to support and sign this legislation when it arrives at the
>White House," Abraham said.
> "Without our little leagues, without scouting, without the
>Salvation Army and other charitable organizations, we would be a much
>poorer nation," Abraham said. "But frivolous lawsuits tear our
>communities apart. As neighbors more and more come to see one
>another as potential litigants, they are losing their desire to serve
>the public. They too often must choose between helping their
>community as a volunteer and protecting their family against
>outrageous litigation," he said.
> "The Volunteer Protection Act will help restore public spirit in
>our country. It will protect volunteers who act properly or in
>simple negligence from tort liability. It will raise the standards
>necessary to hold volunteers liable for punitive damages. And it
>will prevent one volunteer party from being held jointly liable for
>non-economic damages caused by another party," Abraham said.
> "None of these provisions will damage an injured party's liability
>to gain back losses suffered on account of another party's
>intentional or even reckless conduct. They merely provide volunteers
>with protection against unnecessary lawsuits and/or damages that go
>beyond those for which they by rights should expect to be liable.
>This legislation will help resuscitate the spirit of voluntarism
>about which we heard so much in Philadelphia. It will allow
>Americans to give their time and effort to their communities without
>undue fear of frivolous lawsuits.
> "We often extol the virtues of voluntarism and public spirit, but
>this legislation offers us a rare opportunity to do something to
>encourage that conduct."
>
> -30-
