Legal Reform

Good Samaritan Protection for Design Professionals

Issue
During emergency situations caused by natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or other catastrophic events, engineering firms are often called upon — and readily volunteer their services — to assist with relief and recovery efforts. These services include ensuring the safety of structures, buildings, infrastructure, piping or other systems. However, more than 30 states and the federal government fail to extend immunity to professional engineers who provide critical services in an emergency.

As proven by the relief efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, engineering firm expertise in assessing structural, mechanical, electrical, or other infrastructure is invaluable to federal, state, or local governments that may have limited resources during emergencies. Therefore, it is crucial that the federal government establish liability protections that provide immunity for professional engineers during a declared emergency so that engineers can quickly volunteer their services without being deterred by liability concerns. In return, the government would be able to easily mobilize professional engineering resources to adequately evaluate threats to the public’s health and safety.

ACEC Position
ACEC supports the Good Samaritan Protection for Construction, Architectural, and Engineering Volunteers Act, authored by Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA), which seeks to provide liability protection for professional engineers acting on a voluntary basis during emergency situations.