---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 14501"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "14501"
heading: "Findings and purpose"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/14501"
units:
  - "Chapter 139 — Volunteer Protection"
---

# §14501. Findings and purpose

- (a) **Findings—** The Congress finds and declares that—
  - (1) the willingness of [volunteers](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) to offer their services is deterred by the potential for liability actions against them;
  - (2) as a result, many [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) public and private organizations and governmental entities, including voluntary associations, social service [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), educational institutions, and other civic programs, have been adversely affected by the withdrawal of [volunteers](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) from boards of [directors](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) and service in other capacities;
  - (3) the contribution of these programs to their communities is thereby diminished, resulting in fewer and higher cost programs than would be obtainable if [volunteers](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) were participating;
  - (4) because Federal funds are expended on useful and cost-effective social service programs, many of which are national in scope, depend heavily on [volunteer](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) participation, and represent some of the most successful public-private partnerships, protection of volunteerism through clarification and limitation of the personal liability risks assumed by the [volunteer](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) in connection with such participation is an appropriate subject for Federal legislation;
  - (5) services and goods provided by [volunteers](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) and [nonprofit organizations](/usc/42/14505.md?p=4) would often otherwise be provided by private entities that operate in interstate commerce;
  - (6) due to high liability costs and unwarranted litigation costs, [volunteers](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) and [nonprofit organizations](/usc/42/14505.md?p=4) face higher costs in purchasing insurance, through interstate insurance markets, to cover their activities; and
  - (7) clarifying and limiting the liability risk assumed by [volunteers](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) is an appropriate subject for Federal legislation because—
    - (A) of the national scope of the problems created by the legitimate fears of [volunteers](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) about frivolous, arbitrary, or capricious lawsuits;
    - (B) the citizens of the United States depend on, and the Federal Government expends funds on, and provides tax exemptions and other consideration to, numerous social programs that depend on the services of [volunteers](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6);
    - (C) it is in the interest of the Federal Government to encourage the continued operation of [volunteer](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) service organizations and contributions of [volunteers](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) because the Federal Government lacks the capacity to carry out all of the services provided by such organizations and [volunteers](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6); and
    - (D)
      - (i) liability reform for [volunteers](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6), will promote the free flow of goods and services, lessen burdens on interstate commerce and uphold constitutionally protected due process rights; and
      - (ii) therefore, liability reform is an appropriate use of the powers contained in article 1, section 8, clause 3 of the United States Constitution, and the fourteenth amendment to the United States Constitution.
- (b) **Purpose—** The purpose of this chapter is to promote the interests of social service program beneficiaries and taxpayers and to sustain the availability of programs, [nonprofit organizations](/usc/42/14505.md?p=4), and governmental entities that depend on [volunteer](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) contributions by reforming the laws to provide certain protections from liability abuses related to [volunteers](/usc/42/14505.md?p=6) serving [nonprofit organizations](/usc/42/14505.md?p=4) and governmental entities.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 105–19, § 2, June 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 218.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Pub. L. 105–19, § 7, June 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 223, provided that: In General.—This Act [enacting this chapter] shall take effect 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act [June 18, 1997]. Application.—This Act applies to any claim for harm caused by an act or omission of a volunteer where that claim is filed on or after the effective date of this Act but only if the harm that is the subject of the claim or the conduct that caused such harm occurred after such effective date.”

### Short Title

Pub. L. 105–19, § 1, June 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 218, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Volunteer Protection Act of 1997’.”