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| To enact section 2305.2310 of the Revised Code to | 1 |
| provide civil immunity for architects, engineers, | 2 |
| and surveyors providing services during a declared | 3 |
| emergency. | 4 |
| Section 1. That section 2305.2310 of the Revised Code be | 5 |
| enacted to read as follows: | 6 |
| Sec. 2305.2310. (A) A volunteer who is an architect, | 7 |
| engineer, or surveyor shall not be liable in damages in a civil | 8 |
| action for any injury, loss to person or property, or wrongful | 9 |
| death related to the volunteer's acts, errors, or omissions in the | 10 |
| performance of any professional services for any structure, | 11 |
| building, piping, or other engineered system, either publicly or | 12 |
| privately owned. | 13 |
| (B)(1) The immunity provided in this section shall only apply | 14 |
| to professional services provided during a declared emergency and | 15 |
| to professional services provided not more than ninety days after | 16 |
| the end of the period of the declared emergency. | 17 |
| (2) If the governor, under the governor's emergency executive | 18 |
| powers, extends the period of declared emergency, the immunity | 19 |
| provided under this section shall apply to services provided not | 20 |
| more than ninety days after the end of the extended period of | 21 |
| emergency. | 22 |
| (C) Nothing in this section shall provide immunity for | 23 |
| wanton, willful, or intentional misconduct. | 24 |
| (D) As used in this section: | 25 |
| (1) "Architect" means an individual who is certified as an | 26 |
| architect under Chapter 4703. of the Revised Code. | 27 |
| (2) "Building inspection official" means any appointed or | 28 |
| elected federal, state, or local official with overall executive | 29 |
| responsibility for coordinating building inspections in the | 30 |
| jurisdiction in which a declared emergency has occurred. | 31 |
| (3) "Engineer" means an individual registered as a | 32 |
| professional engineer under Chapter 4733. of the Revised Code. | 33 |
| (4) "Law enforcement official" means an appointed or elected | 34 |
| federal, state, or local official responsible for coordinating law | 35 |
| enforcement in the jurisdiction in which a declared emergency has | 36 |
| occurred. | 37 |
| (5) "Professional services" means architectural, engineering, | 38 |
| or surveying services provided by an architect, engineer, or | 39 |
| surveyor, respectively. "Professional services" does not include | 40 |
| services provided by an individual who is not qualified to provide | 41 |
| such services. | 42 |
| (6) "Public official" means any elected federal, state, or | 43 |
| local official with overall executive responsibility in the | 44 |
| jurisdiction in which a declared emergency has occurred. | 45 |
| (7) "Public safety official" means any appointed or elected | 46 |
| official with overall executive responsibility to coordinate | 47 |
| public safety in the jurisdiction in which a declared emergency | 48 |
| has occurred. | 49 |
| (8) "Surveyor" means an individual who is registered as a | 50 |
| professional surveyor under Chapter 4733. of the Revised Code. | 51 |
| (9) "Volunteer" means an individual who, at the request of, | 52 |
| or with the approval of, a national, state, or local public | 53 |
| official, law enforcement official, public safety official, or | 54 |
| building inspection official acting in an official capacity, | 55 |
| voluntarily, without compensation, provides professional services | 56 |
| in relation to a declared national, state, or local emergency | 57 |
| caused by a major earthquake, hurricane, tornado, fire, explosion, | 58 |
| collapse, or other catastrophic event. | 59 |