Legislation has been introduced in the United States House of Represnetatives that would provide "Good Samaritan" protection for engineers and their employers responding to emergencies. HR 2067, The Good Samaritan Protection for Construction, Architectural, and Engineering Volunteers Act, was recently introduced by Connecticut Congressman Chris Shays and several other representatives and has been referred to the Judiciary Committee.

A copy of the bill can be found by clicking here.

Although Connecticut recently passed similar legislation, a federal law would increase the protection of volunteers and cover engineers who respond out of state to emergencies.

Please fax your Representative to express your support for this important bill. (Because of security concerns, regular mail is often delayed.)

Here's sample wording:

Dear ____________________,

I am a Structural Engineer at the firm of __________ in __________, Connecticut. I am also a member of the Structural Engineers Coalition of Connecticut which organizes volunteer Engineers to assist the public in natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Members of our organization are proud to have assisted in the evaluation of damaged structures immediately after the 9/11 attack in New York City.

I would ask your support for HR 2067, The Good Samaritan Protection for Construction, Architectural, and Engineering Volunteers Act. This legislation would encourage more Engineers and other design and construction personnel to volunteer in emergencies and provide some liability protection for volunteers.

Sincerely,

_____________________

Click here for a list of Connecticut Representatives in Washington.