AGC Urges House to Support H.R. 2067, Good Samaritan Legislation

May 18, 2007

Dear Representative:

On behalf of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), I am writing to urge your support of H.R. 2067, the Good Samaritan Protection for Construction, Architectural, and Engineering Volunteers Act.  This legislation was recently introduced and grants construction companies and their employees limited immunity from liability when providing emergency construction assistance on a voluntary basis in response to a declared emergency or disaster.  This legislation would not protect those with willful misconduct or in cases of gross negligence.

AGC is the largest national construction trade association in the United States, representing more than 32,000 firms, including 7,000 of America’s leading general contractors, nearly 11,000 specialty-contracting firms and over 13,000 service providers.  AGC of America and our nearly 100 chapters around the country support this bill to ensure that construction contractors will always respond to the call of duty.

Construction contractors do the correct thing when facing disasters and emergencies by bringing equipment, knowledge and people to the affected area.  They volunteer their efforts to help people and want to be able to contribute in the same way in the future.  In situations like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, construction contractors are vital to help with search, recovery and cleanup efforts.  Those who respond in the immediate aftermath of a disaster do so in a volunteer capacity, as Good Samaritans.  After disasters, contracts are not usually in place immediately (they were not awarded in New York until 30 days after the attacks) so there is not adequate insurance in place during the imperative first few hours, days, and sometimes weeks.

Less than half the states have Good Samaritan legislation to cover those who respond to natural disasters and other emergencies, and only one state mentions contractors specifically.  When construction expertise is needed, there should not be anything to make the construction industry hesitant in responding to help and possibly save lives.

Again, AGC would like to encourage your support and co-sponsorship of H.R. 2067.  We look forward to working with you to see this legislation enacted into law.

Sincerely,
 
Kelly Krauser Knott
Director, Government Relations