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Abstract

Legal Perspectives is aimed at informing healthcare providers, emergency planners, and other decision makers about important legal issues related to public health and healthcare preparedness and response. The articles describe these potentially challenging topics and conclude with the authors' suggestions for further action. The articles do not provide legal advice. Therefore, those affected by the issues discussed in this column should seek further guidance from legal counsel. Readers may submit topics of interest to the column's editor, Ryan Morhard, JD, through the Journal's editorial office at jjfox@upmc.edu.

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) provides a mechanism for states to assist each other during natural disasters and other emergencies. Congress ratified EMAC in 1996, and all 50 states and 3 territories have adopted it. EMAC allows a state affected by a disaster to request personnel and materiel from another state. For personnel requests, EMAC provides that the requesting state cover the tort liability and the responding state cover the workers' compensation liability. This article discusses the limitations of EMAC in deploying volunteers and how the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act and other provisions address those limitations.

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References

Emergency Management Assistance CompactPub. L. No. 104-321, 110 Stat3877. 1996.

Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act. 2007. http://www.uniformlaws.org/Act.aspx?title=Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners 2012 July 23.

Carpenter

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. Deploying and using volunteer health practitioners in response to emergencies: proposed uniform state legislation provides liability protections and workers' compensation coverage. Am J Disaster Med, 2008 Jan-Feb 3,1:17–23.

Federal Civil Defense ActPub. L. No. 81-920, 64 Stat1249. 1950.

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. Stafford Disaster Relief and Assistance Act of 1994Pub. L. No. 93-288 (amended 42 U.S.C. §§5121–52075196(h)).

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. The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC): An OverviewRL 34585Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2008. http://wlstorage.net/file/crs/RL34585.pdf. 2013 August 22.

Report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate. Emergency Management Assistance Compact. Enhancing EMAC's Collaborative and Administrative Capacity Should Improve National Disaster ResponseGAO-07-854Washington, DC: US Government Accountability Office, 2007. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07854.pdf. 2013 August 28.

EMACsupra note 1, Article IV.

Id. Article V.

10.

Id. Article IV.

11.

Id. Article VI.

12.

Id. Article VIII.

13.

Id. Article VI.

14.

Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioner Act. Summary. http://www.uniformlaws.org/ActSummary.aspx?title=Emergency%20Volunteer%20Health%20Practitioners. 2013 August 28.

15.

Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioner Actsupra note 2, §§ 3 and 6.

16.

Id at §§ 2(9), 2(5), 2(11), 3, 5. Qualified registration systems must include information about volunteer health practitioner licensure and good standing that can be accessed during an emergency. The Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) is an example of one such registration system. Liability protections for spontaneous volunteers are not covered or anticipated by UEVHPA; however, spontaneous volunteers may have some liability protections under state Good Samaritan laws or other mechanisms. Liability protections for spontaneous volunteers are not specifically considered in this note.

17.

Id. at § 9(b).

18.

Id. at § 11(a) and (c) of Alternative A.

19.

Id. at § 11(b) of Alternative A.

20.

Id. at § 11(a) and (b) of Alternative B.

21.

Id. at § 2(15).

22.

Id. at § 12(b).

23.

Id. at § (12)(b)(1), (2).

24.

National Governors' Association Center for Best Practices. Issue Brief: Beyond EMAC: legal issues in mutual aid for public health practice. December 17, 2005. http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/05LEGALISSUES.pdf. 2013 August 28.

25.

U.S. Constitution, art. I, § 10, cl. 3.

26.

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v Adams

449 U.S. 433, 440, 101 S. Ct703. 1981.

27.

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148 U.S. 452, 518, 13 S. Ct.728. 1893.

28.

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30.

Ind. Code § 10-14-3-19(b).

31.

Id. §§ 10-14-3-19(c)(2), 10-14-3-15(a) & (c).

32.

Id. § 10-14-3-19(d).

33.

Id. § 10-14-3-3.

34.

Id. § 10-14-3-15(a), (c).

35.

Utah Code § 26-49-301(2).

36.

Id. § 26-49-601(2), (3).

37.

Id. §§ 26-49-501, 58-13-2.

38.

Id. §§ 26-49-203, 26-49-501, 58-13-2.

39.

Id. § 26-49-601(6)(a)(1).

40.

N.Y. Unconsol. Laws (SDEA) § 113(1).

41.

N.Y. Exec. Law § 29-b(1).

42.

Id. § 20(2)(g).

43.

N.Y. Pub. Off. Law §§ 17, 18.

44.

N.Y. Unconsol. Laws (SDEA) § 113(2).

45.

N.Y. Workers' Comp. Law §§ 303, 302.

46.

Fla. Stat. § 110.501(1).

47.

Id. § 110.504(4).

48.

Id. § 768.28(9).

49.

Id. § 110.504(7).

50.

Id. § 768.1355(1)(a).

51.

Id. § 110.504(5).

52.

Hogan

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, Stier

et al. Assessing cross-sectoral and cross-jurisdictional coordination for public health emergency legal preparedness. J Law Med Ethics, 2008; 36,Suppl 1:36–52.

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Bullard

, Hogan

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et al. Improving cross-sectoral and cross-jurisdictional coordination for public health emergency legal preparedness. J Law Med Ethics, 2008; 36,Suppl 1:57–63.

EMAC Volunteers: Liability and Workers' Compensation

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References