H.F. _____ Section 1. NEW SECTION . 461A.81 State lands volunteer 1 program —— liability. 2 The department shall establish a state lands volunteer 3 program to authorize nonprofit organizations, and individuals 4 providing services on behalf of the nonprofit organizations, 5 to provide, at no compensation, volunteer services for the 6 benefit of state parks and recreation areas, state game 7 and forest areas, or other lands under the jurisdiction of 8 the department of natural resources. The department shall 9 adopt rules governing the administration of the program to 10 include eligibility requirements for nonprofit organizations 11 participating in the program and provisions governing approved 12 volunteer duties or services. Nonprofit organizations, 13 and individuals providing services on behalf of nonprofit 14 organizations, authorized to provide volunteer services for 15 no compensation by the department pursuant to this section 16 shall be considered state volunteers and afforded the same 17 protections as provided in section 669.24 while performing 18 approved volunteer duties or services on state lands, as 19 described in this section, as a volunteer. 20 EXPLANATION 21 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 22 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 23 This bill requires the department of natural resources 24 to establish a state lands volunteer program to authorize 25 nonprofit organizations to provide volunteer services for the 26 benefit of state lands. The bill requires the department to 27 adopt rules governing the administration of the program. The 28 bill provides that nonprofit organizations, and individuals 29 providing services on behalf of the nonprofit organizations, 30 authorized to provide volunteer services for no compensation 31 shall be afforded the liability protections of a state 32 volunteer under the state tort claims Act. 33 -1- LSB 5679YC (1) 85 ec/sc 1/ 1