Revised Code of Washington
Chapter 4.24 - Special Rights of Action and Special Immunities.
4.24.670 - Liability of volunteers of nonprofit or governmental entities.

RCW 4.24.670
Liability of volunteers of nonprofit or governmental entities.

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a volunteer of a nonprofit organization or governmental entity shall not be personally liable for harm caused by an act or omission of the volunteer on behalf of the organization or entity if:
(a) The volunteer was acting within the scope of the volunteer's responsibilities in the nonprofit organization or governmental entity at the time of the act or omission;
(b) If appropriate or required, the volunteer was properly licensed, certified, or authorized by the appropriate authorities for the activities or practice, where the activities were or practice was undertaken within the scope of the volunteer's responsibilities in the nonprofit organization or governmental entity;
(c) The harm was not caused by willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed by the volunteer;
(d) The harm was not caused by the volunteer operating a motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft, or other vehicle for which the state requires the operator or the owner of the vehicle, craft, or vessel to either possess an operator's license or maintain insurance; and
(e) The nonprofit organization carries public liability insurance covering the organization's liability for harm caused to others for which it is directly or vicariously liable of not less than the following amounts:
(i) For organizations with gross revenues of less than twenty-five thousand dollars, at least fifty thousand dollars due to the bodily injury or death of one person or at least one hundred thousand dollars due to the bodily injury or death of two or more persons;
(ii) For organizations with gross revenues of twenty-five thousand dollars or more but less than one hundred thousand dollars, at least one hundred thousand dollars due to the bodily injury or death of one person or at least two hundred thousand dollars due to the bodily injury or death of two or more persons;
(iii) For organizations with gross revenues of one hundred thousand dollars or more, at least five hundred thousand dollars due to bodily injury or death.
(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any civil action brought by any nonprofit organization or any governmental entity against any volunteer of the organization or entity.
(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the liability, or vicarious liability, of any nonprofit organization or governmental entity with respect to harm caused to any person, including harm caused by the negligence of a volunteer.
(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to the emergency workers registered in accordance with chapter 38.52 RCW nor to the related volunteer organizations to which they may belong.
(5) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(a) "Economic loss" means any pecuniary loss resulting from harm, including the loss of earnings or other benefits related to employment, medical expense loss, replacement services loss, loss due to death, burial costs, and loss of business or employment opportunities.
(b) "Harm" includes physical, nonphysical, economic, and noneconomic losses.
(c) "Noneconomic loss" means loss for physical and emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, mental anguish, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of society and companionship, loss of consortium other than loss of domestic service, hedonic damages, injury to reputation, and all other nonpecuniary losses of any kind or nature.
(d) "Nonprofit organization" means: (i) Any organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3)) and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of the internal revenue code; (ii) any not-for-profit organization that is organized and conducted for public benefit and operated primarily for charitable, civic, educational, religious, welfare, or health purposes; or (iii) any organization described in section 501(c)(14)(A) of the internal revenue code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(14)(A)) and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of the internal revenue code.
(e) "Volunteer" means an individual performing services for a nonprofit organization or a governmental entity who does not receive compensation, other than reasonable reimbursement or allowance for expenses actually incurred, or any other thing of value, in excess of five hundred dollars per year. "Volunteer" includes a volunteer serving as a director, officer, trustee, or direct service volunteer.

[ 2001 c 209 § 1.]

Structure Revised Code of Washington

Revised Code of Washington

Title 4 - Civil Procedure

Chapter 4.24 - Special Rights of Action and Special Immunities.

4.24.005 - Tort actions—Attorneys' fees—Determination of reasonableness.

4.24.010 - Action for injury or death of child.

4.24.020 - Action by parent for seduction of child.

4.24.040 - Action for negligently permitting fire to spread.

4.24.050 - Kindling of fires by persons driving lumber.

4.24.060 - Application of common law.

4.24.070 - Recovery of money lost at gambling.

4.24.080 - Action to recover leased premises used for gambling.

4.24.090 - Validity of evidence of gambling debt.

4.24.115 - Validity of agreement to indemnify against liability for negligence relative to construction, alteration, improvement, etc., of structure or improvement attached to real estate or relative to a motor carrier transportation contract.

4.24.130 - Action for change of name—Fees.

4.24.140 - Action by another state to enforce tax liability.

4.24.141 - Action by another state to enforce tax liability—"Taxes" defined.

4.24.150 - Action for fines or forfeitures.

4.24.160 - Action for penalty—Amount of recovery.

4.24.170 - Judgment for penalty or forfeiture—Effect of collusion.

4.24.180 - Disposition of fines, fees, penalties and forfeitures—Venue.

4.24.190 - Action against parent for willful injury to person or property by minor—Monetary limitation—Common law liability preserved.

4.24.200 - Liability of owners or others in possession of land and water areas for injuries to recreation users—Purpose.

4.24.210 - Liability of owners or others in possession of land and water areas for injuries to recreation users—Known dangerous artificial latent conditions—Other limitations.

4.24.220 - Action for being detained on mercantile establishment premises for investigation—"Reasonable grounds" as defense.

4.24.230 - Liability for conversion of goods or merchandise from store or mercantile establishment, leaving restaurant or hotel or motel without paying—Adults, minors—Parents, guardians—Notice.

4.24.235 - Physicians—Immunity from liability regarding safety belts.

4.24.240 - Persons licensed to provide health care or related services, employees, hospitals, clinics, etc.—Professional review committee, society, examining, licensing or disciplinary board members, etc.—Immunity from civil suit.

4.24.250 - Health care provider filing charges or presenting evidence—Immunity—Information sharing.

4.24.260 - Health professionals making reports, filing charges, or presenting evidence—Immunity.

4.24.264 - Boards of directors or officers of nonprofit corporations—Liability—Limitations.

4.24.290 - Action for damages based on professional negligence of hospitals or members of healing arts—Standard of proof—Evidence—Exception.

4.24.300 - Immunity from liability for certain types of medical care.

4.24.310 - Persons rendering emergency care or transportation—Definitions.

4.24.311 - Immunity from liability for certain care or assistance at scene of emergency or disaster.

4.24.314 - Person causing hazardous materials incident—Responsibility for incident clean-up—Liability.

4.24.320 - Action by person damaged by malicious mischief to livestock or by owner damaged by theft of livestock—Treble damages, attorney's fees.

4.24.330 - Action for damages caused by criminal street gang tagging and graffiti.

4.24.340 - Liability of merchants and other parties for creating a property crime database—Information sharing.

4.24.345 - Unlawfully summoning a law enforcement officer—Civil action.

4.24.350 - Actions for damages that are false, unfounded, malicious, without probable cause, or part of conspiracy—Action, claim, or counterclaim by judicial officer, prosecuting authority, or law enforcement officer for malicious prosecution—Damages...

4.24.355 - Action by person removed from premises pursuant to RCW 9A.52.105—Damages, costs, attorneys' fees.

4.24.360 - Construction contract provision waiving, releasing, etc., rights of contractor, etc., to damages or adjustment for unreasonable delay caused by contractee, etc.—Declared void and unenforceable—Exceptions.

4.24.370 - Construction contract provision waiving, releasing, etc., rights of contractor, etc., to damages or adjustment for unreasonable delay caused by contractee, etc.—"Construction contract" defined.

4.24.380 - Construction contract provision waiving, releasing, etc., rights of contractor, etc., to damages or adjustment for unreasonable delay caused by contractee, etc.—Prospective application of RCW 4.24.360.

4.24.400 - Building warden assisting others to evacuate building or attempting to control hazard—Immunity from liability.

4.24.410 - Dog handler using dog in line of duty—Immunity.

4.24.420 - Action by person committing a felony—Defense—Law enforcement activities—Actions under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983.

4.24.430 - Actions by persons serving criminal sentence—Waiver of filing fees—Effect of previous claims dismissed on grounds claim was frivolous or malicious.

4.24.450 - Liability of operators for nuclear incidents—Definitions.

4.24.460 - Liability of operators for nuclear incidents—Presumption of operator negligence—Rebuttal—Recovery for negligence or against other parties not limited by section.

4.24.470 - Liability of officials and members of governing body of public agency—Definitions.

4.24.480 - Liability of members of state hazardous materials planning committee and local emergency planning committees.

4.24.490 - Indemnification of state employees.

4.24.495 - Liability of public employers for deducting or receiving agency or fair share fees from public employees—Findings and declaration—Definitions.

4.24.500 - Good faith communication to government agency—Legislative findings—Purpose.

4.24.510 - Communication to government agency or self-regulatory organization—Immunity from civil liability.

4.24.520 - Good faith communication to government agency—When agency or attorney general may defend against lawsuit—Costs and fees.

4.24.530 - Limitations on liability for equine activities—Definitions.

4.24.540 - Limitations on liability for equine activities—Exceptions.

4.24.545 - Electronic monitoring or 24/7 sobriety program participation—Limitation on liability.

4.24.550 - Sex offenders and kidnapping offenders—Release of information to public—Website.

4.24.5501 - Sex offenders—Model policy—Work group.

4.24.551 - Law enforcement response to secure community transition facility—Limitation on liability.

4.24.555 - Release of information not restricted by pending appeal, petition, or writ.

4.24.556 - Sex offender treatment providers—Affiliate sex offender treatment providers—Limited liability—Responsibilities.

4.24.558 - Limitations on liability for information sharing regarding persons under court orders for supervision or treatment.

4.24.560 - Defense to action for injury caused by indoor air pollutants.

4.24.570 - Acts against animals in research or educational facilities.

4.24.575 - Acts against animals kept for agricultural or veterinary purposes.

4.24.580 - Acts against animal facilities—Injunction.

4.24.590 - Liability of foster parents.

4.24.595 - Liability immunity—Emergent placement investigations of child abuse or neglect—Shelter care and other dependency orders.

4.24.601 - Hazards to the public—Information—Legislative findings, policy, intent.

4.24.611 - Product liability/hazardous substance claims—Public right to information—Confidentiality—Damages, costs, attorneys' fees—Repeal.

4.24.630 - Liability for damage to land and property—Damages—Costs—Attorneys' fees—Exceptions.

4.24.640 - Firearm safety program liability.

4.24.660 - Liability of school districts under contracts with youth programs.

4.24.670 - Liability of volunteers of nonprofit or governmental entities.

4.24.680 - Unlawful release of court and law enforcement employee information—Exception.

4.24.690 - Unlawful release of court and law enforcement employee information—Court action to prevent.

4.24.700 - Unlawful release of court and law enforcement employee information—Damages, fees, and costs.

4.24.710 - Outdoor music festival, campground—Detention.

4.24.720 - Liability immunity—Amber alerts.

4.24.730 - Liability immunity—Disclosure of employee information to prospective employer.

4.24.740 - Liability immunity—Bovine handling activities.

4.24.750 - Monitoring of persons charged with or convicted of misdemeanors—Decisions concerning release of criminal offenders—Findings.

4.24.760 - Limited jurisdiction courts—Limitation on liability for inadequate supervision or monitoring—Definitions.

4.24.770 - Private employer not liable for injury to unauthorized third-party occupant of private employer's vehicle.

4.24.780 - Liability of fire service protection agency in providing firefighting efforts outside of jurisdiction or emergency services.

4.24.785 - Delivery or installation of detection device by fire protection service agency—Liability for civil damages.

4.24.790 - Electronic impersonation—Action for invasion of privacy.

4.24.795 - Distribution of intimate images—Liability for damages, other civil penalties—Confidentiality of the plaintiff.

4.24.800 - Liability immunity—Charitable donation of eyeglasses or hearing instruments.

4.24.810 - Liability immunity—Credentialing or granting practice privileges to health care providers responding to emergencies.

4.24.820 - Nonrecognition of foreign order—Incompatibility with public policy.

4.24.830 - Agritourism—Definitions.

4.24.832 - Agritourism—Immunity.

4.24.835 - Agritourism—Warning notice.

4.24.840 - Effect of sexual harassment or sexual assault nondisclosure agreement on discovery and witness availability.

4.24.850 - Action by victim of false reporting—Liability to a public agency.

4.24.900 - Construction—Chapter applicable to state registered domestic partnerships—2009 c 521.