Report Title:

Tort Liability; County Indemnification; Beach Park Operation

 

Description:

Extends state tort liability to include indemnification of counties against damages arising from the operation of certain beach parks by a county.

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

604

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO TORTS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Section 662-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending the definition of "employees of the State" to read as follows:

"Employees of the State" includes officers and employees of any state agency, members of the Hawaii national guard, Hawaii state defense force, and persons acting in behalf of a state agency in an official capacity, temporarily, whether with or without compensation. "Employees of the State" also includes persons employed by a county of this State as lifeguards and designated to provide lifeguard services at a designated state beach park under an agreement between the State and that county[.] or at any beach park operated by that county under a license or lease from any state agency or pursuant to an executive order of the governor."

SECTION 2. Section 662-16, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§662-16 Defense of state employees[.]; indemnification of counties. The attorney general may defend any civil action or proceeding brought in any court against any employee of the State for damage to property or for personal injury, including death, resulting from the act or omission of any state employee while acting within the scope of the employee's employment. The employee against whom such civil action or proceeding is brought shall deliver within the time after the date of service or knowledge of service as determined by the attorney general, all process or complaint served upon the employee or an attested true copy thereof to the employee's immediate superior or to whomever was designated by the head of the employee's department to receive such papers and such person shall promptly furnish copies of the pleadings and process therein to the department of the attorney general.

No judgment by default shall be entered against a state employee based on a cause of action arising out of an act or omission of such employee while acting within the scope of the employee's employment unless the department of the attorney general has received a copy of the complaint or other relevant pleadings and a period of twenty days has elapsed from the date of such receipt.

The attorney general [may also] shall defend and the State shall indemnify a county against all damages in any civil action or proceeding brought in any court against a county based on [an]:

(1) An allegedly negligent or wrongful act or omission of persons employed by a county as lifeguards and designated to provide lifeguard services at a designated state beach park under an agreement between the State and a county[.] or at any beach park operated by that county under a license or lease from any state agency or pursuant to an executive order of the governor; or

(2) A natural condition existing at a beach park referred to in paragraph (1) or any natural or unnatural condition of the beach and ocean adjacent to the beach park.

The attorney general may also defend any civil action or proceeding brought in any court against any provider of medical, dental, or psychological services pursuant to contract with the department of public safety when the provider is sued for acts or omissions within the contract's scope of work."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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