ARTICLE 17. Privileges and Immunities [8655. - 8660.]

Law Codes -> Government Code -> Article 8655 to 8660

• 8655.

  The state or its political subdivisions shall not be liable for any claim based upon the exercise or performance, or the failure to exercise or perform, a discretionary function or duty on the part of a state or local agency or any employee of the state or its political subdivisions in carrying out the provisions of this chapter.

• 8655.5.

  (a)As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

  (1)"Community warning program" means any broadcast or notification program conducted by or at the direction of a public agency of a county of the ninth class that is intended to facilitate the agency's ability to warn residents of an actual or a threatened hazardous materials release or other emergency or natural disaster, and to coordinate the dissemination of information through various media and other warning devices of any nature, including, but not limited to, sirens, television, radio, 911 service, and public address systems.

  (2)"Community warning system" means any combination of equipment, hardware, and software used in a community warning program by a county of the ninth class.

  (3)"Donor organization" means a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, and its officers, directors, employees, members, and contributors, that has donated in whole or in part a community warning system to a county of the ninth class.

  (b)A donor organization is immune from suit and claims of liability for any injury arising out of the design, development, installation, maintenance, operation, and use of a community warning program or community warning system. This section shall be cumulative with, and does not affect in any way, any immunity from suit and claims of liability, privileges, defenses, or exemptions otherwise enjoyed by any person or entity. This immunity shall not apply to the management, operation, or maintenance of a community warning system by a donor organization after a donor organization donates a community warning system to a county of the ninth class, but shall apply to (1) the installation by a donor organization of alert receiver equipment and initiation box equipment, or (2) the operation or maintenance, or both, by a donor organization of stationary terminal equipment and related initiation box equipment, and alert receiver equipment, or both (1) and (2), for communications and operations, provided that the installation, operation, or maintenance, or all of these, by the donor organization is undertaken without compensation, and in accordance with the direction of, or under contract with, a county of the ninth class, whether before or after the donation.

  (c)(1)Except as expressly provided in subdivision (b), this section does not negate or impair any duty or cause of action, whether civil or criminal, against a donor organization.

  (2)Without limiting the generality of paragraph (1), this section is not intended to, nor shall it be construed to, (A) relieve the manufacturer, designer, developer, installer, or supplier of equipment or software for a community warning system from any obligation or liability under any applicable statute or rule of law, or (B) relieve any donor organization from any liability for the intentional wrongful use of a community warning system or any part thereof.

  (3)Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or of any law relating to indemnity, joint and several liability, or several liability, no claim for contribution or indemnity arises against a donor organization based on the design, development, installation, maintenance, operation, or use of a community warning system for which the donor organization is otherwise immune under the section.

  (4)Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or of any law relating to indemnity, joint and several liability, or several liability, no person who is otherwise liable for damages shall be entitled to seek or assert any allocation of any percentage of fault or liability for the purpose of the reduction of damages for personal injury, property damage, or wrongful death, based on the participation of a donor organization or a county of the ninth class or its officials or employees in the design, development, installation, maintenance, operation, or use of a community warning system.

• 8656.

  All of the privileges and immunities from liability; exemptions from laws, ordinances, and rules; all pension, relief, disability, workers' compensation, and other benefits which apply to the activity of officers, agents, or employees of any political subdivision when performing their respective functions within the territorial limits of their respective political subdivisions, shall apply to them to the same degree and extent while engaged in the performance of any of their functions and duties extraterritorially under this chapter.

• 8657.

  (a)Volunteers duly enrolled or registered with the Office of Emergency Services or any disaster council of any political subdivision, or unregistered persons duly impressed into service during a state of war emergency, a state of emergency, or a local emergency, in carrying out, complying with, or attempting to comply with, any order or regulation issued or promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this chapter or any local ordinance, or performing any of their authorized functions or duties or training for the performance of their authorized functions or duties, shall have the same degree of responsibility for their actions and enjoy the same immunities as officers and employees of the state and its political subdivisions performing similar work for their respective entities.

  (b)No political subdivision or other public agency under any circumstances, nor the officers, employees, agents, or duly enrolled or registered volunteers thereof, or unregistered persons duly impressed into service during a state of war emergency, a state of emergency, or a local emergency, acting within the scope of their official duties under this chapter or any local ordinance shall be liable for personal injury or property damage sustained by any duly enrolled or registered volunteer engaged in or training for emergency preparedness or relief activity, or by any unregistered person duly impressed into service during a state of war emergency, a state of emergency, or a local emergency and engaged in such service. The foregoing shall not affect the right of any such person to receive benefits or compensation which may be specifically provided by the provisions of any federal or state statute nor shall it affect the right of any person to recover under the terms of any policy of insurance.

  (c)The California Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council, an advisory committee established pursuant to Section 8590 of this chapter, may advise the Governor of the existence of an earthquake or volcanic prediction having scientific validity. In its review, hearings, deliberations, or other validation procedures, members of the council, jointly and severally, shall have the same degree of responsibility for their actions and enjoy the same immunities as officers and employees of the state and its political subdivisions engaged in similar work in their respective entities. Any person making a presentation to the council as part of the council's validation process, including presentation of a prediction for validation, shall be deemed a member of the council until the council has found the prediction to have or not have scientific validity.

• 8657.5.

  (a)(1)A private business included on the statewide registry pursuant to Section 8588.2 that voluntarily and without expectation and receipt of compensation donates services, goods, labor, equipment, resources, or dispensaries or other facilities, in compliance with Section 8588.2, during a declared state of war, state of emergency, or state of local emergency shall not be civilly liable for a death, injury, illness, or other damage to a person or property caused by the private business's donation of services, goods, labor, equipment, resources, or dispensaries or other facilities.

  (2)A private business included on the statewide registry that voluntarily and without expectation and receipt of compensation donates services, goods, labor, equipment, resources, or dispensaries or other facilities, in compliance with Section 8588.2, during an emergency medical services training program conducted by the Office of Emergency Services and a city, a county, or a city and county shall not be civilly liable for damages alleged to have resulted from those training programs, as described in Section 1799.100 of the Health and Safety Code.

  (b)(1)A nonprofit organization included on the statewide registry pursuant to Section 8588.2 that voluntarily and without expectation and receipt of compensation from victims of emergencies and disasters donates services, goods, labor, equipment, resources, or dispensaries or other facilities, in compliance with Section 8588.2, during a declared state of war, state of emergency, or state of local emergency shall not be civilly liable for a death, injury, illness, or other damage to a person or property caused by the nonprofit organization's donation of services, goods, labor, equipment, resources, or dispensaries or other facilities.

  (2)A nonprofit organization included on the statewide registry that voluntarily and without expectation and receipt of compensation donates services, goods, labor, equipment, resources, or dispensaries or other facilities, in compliance with Section 8588.2, during an emergency medical services training program conducted by the Office of Emergency Services and a city, a county, or a city and county, shall not be civilly liable for damages alleged to have resulted from those training programs, as described in Section 1799.100 of the Health and Safety Code.

  (c)A private business or nonprofit organization that discriminates against a victim of an emergency or disaster based on a protected classification under federal or state law shall not be entitled to the protections in subdivision (a) or (b).

  (d)This section shall not relieve a private business or nonprofit organization from liability caused by its grossly negligent act or omission, or willful or wanton misconduct.

• 8658.

  In any case in which an emergency endangering the lives of inmates of a state, county, or city penal or correctional institution has occurred or is imminent, the person in charge of the institution may remove the inmates from the institution. He shall, if possible, remove them to a safe and convenient place and there confine them as long as may be necessary to avoid the danger, or, if that is not possible, may release them. Such person shall not be held liable, civilly or criminally, for acts performed pursuant to this section.

• 8659.

  (a)Any physician or surgeon (whether licensed in this state or any other state), hospital, pharmacist, respiratory care practitioner, nurse, or dentist who renders services during any state of war emergency, a state of emergency, or a local emergency at the express or implied request of any responsible state or local official or agency shall have no liability for any injury sustained by any person by reason of those services, regardless of how or under what circumstances or by what cause those injuries are sustained; provided, however, that the immunity herein granted shall not apply in the event of a willful act or omission.

  (b)Any veterinarian or registered veterinary technician who renders services during any state of war emergency, a state of emergency, or a local emergency at the express or implied request of any responsible state or local official or agency shall have no liability for any injury sustained by any animal by reason of those services, regardless of how or under what circumstances or by what cause those injuries are sustained; provided, however, that the immunity herein granted shall not apply in the event of a willful act or omission.

• 8660.

  No other state or its officers or employees rendering aid in this state pursuant to any interstate arrangement, agreement, or compact shall be liable on account of any act or omission in good faith on the part of such state or its officers or employees while so engaged, or on account of the maintenance or use of any equipment or supplies in connection with an emergency.