NC enacts liability protection for groups that aid in disasters

August 14, 2008

CHAPEL HILL –North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley has signed into law the Liability Protection for Private Entities Act of 2008, a bill drafted by the NC Division of Public Health to improve state emergency preparedness.  This successful effort was spearheaded by the Private/Public Legal Preparedness Initiative at the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, part of the UNC School of Public Health in Chapel Hill. 

This new law, which went into effect August 8, 2008, gives businesses and non-profit organizations additional liability protection when they voluntarily assist the state or local governments in carrying out emergency management activities during a declared emergency.  

The bill also provides firms, partnerships, associations, and corporations with similar liability protection when engaged in planning, preparation, training, or exercises with the state or local governing body related to the performance of emergency management services or measures. 

Gene Matthews, director of the legal preparedness initiative at UNC and former chief legal counsel at CDC, supported passage of this legislation. “This enactment provides a much-needed incentive for the private sector to work more closely with state and local government officials in preparing for the next natural disaster, public health emergency, or intentional event,” he said.     

North Carolina becomes the fourth state to recently enact entity emergency liability protection, following Georgia, Washington, and Iowa. 

See the full text of the North Carolina Liability Protection for Private Entities Act of 2008 (Senate Bill 1766).

See the Georgia Corporate Good Samaritan Act of 2008.

See the full text of Washington House Bill 1073.

See Section 21 of Iowa House File 925.