Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 150.003 – Liability for Services Rendered During Disaster
(a) This section applies only to a licensed or registered professional who provides architectural or engineering services if the services:
(1) are authorized, as appropriate for the professional, in:
(A) Chapter 1001, Occupations Code;
(B) Chapter 1051, Occupations Code;
(C) 22 T.A.C. Part 6 (Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors), Chapter 137 (Compliance and Professionalism); and
(D) 22 T.A.C. Part 1 (Texas Board of Architectural Examiners), Chapter 1 (Architects), Subchapter H (Professional Conduct);
(2) subject to Subsection (d), are provided voluntarily and without compensation or the expectation of compensation;
(3) are in response to and provided during the duration of a proclaimed state of emergency under § 433.001, Government Code, or a declared state of disaster under § 418.014, Government Code;
(4) are provided at the request or with the approval of a federal, state, or local public official acting in an official capacity in response to the proclaimed state of emergency or declared disaster, including a law enforcement official, public safety official, or building inspection official; and
(5) are related to a structure, building, roadway, piping, or other system, either publicly or privately owned.
(b) A licensed or registered professional who provides the services to which this section applies is not liable for civil damages, including personal injury, wrongful death, property damage, or other loss related to the professional’s act, error, or omission in the performance of the services, unless the act, error, or omission constitutes:
(1) gross negligence; or
(2) wanton, wilful, or intentional misconduct.
Terms Used In Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 150.003
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Property: means real and personal property. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) This section does not apply to a licensed or registered professional who is at the scene of the emergency to solicit business or perform a service for compensation on behalf of the professional or a person for whom the professional is an agent.
(d) The entitlement of a licensed or registered professional to receive compensation for services to which this section applies does not determine whether the services provided by the professional were provided voluntarily and without compensation or the expectation of compensation.