In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation that will amend the Recreational Use of Land and Water Act (RULWA) to provide protections for volunteers, volunteer organizations, and those that landowners invite onto their property in order to improve the property for recreational use.

RULWA was created to encourage landowners to make land and water areas available to the public for recreational purposes by limiting liability to the landowners. Our proposal will extend that limited liability protection to volunteers, volunteer organizations, and those who the landowner invites onto their property who “without compensation, provide services to care for, enhance, preserve, restore or maintain land for recreational purposes.”

Several organizations across Pennsylvania are being swept up in expensive lawsuits filed against landowners where they volunteer but have nothing to do with the volunteers and volunteer organizations themselves, or their volunteer work. Situations of this type make it nearly impossible for these non-profit volunteer organizations to obtain reasonable liability insurance, putting their beneficial volunteer operations at risk. The increasing costs of liability insurance has become a burden for “friends’ groups” and others who give so much back to our communities.

This bill will be identical to the versions introduced in the previous two legislative sessions. House Bill 33 (Session 2023-24) and House Bill 1694 (Session 2021-22). HB 1694 unanimously passed the House of Representatives and had the support of over 80 organizations around the Commonwealth including the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, Trout Unlimited, Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen and Conservationists, Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society, and the Fairmount Park Conservancy.

Please join us in co-sponsoring this legislation.