895.482(1)(a)
(a) "Compensation" means wages, salary, commission or bonuses paid for services rendered, but does not include the provision, at a discounted price or without charge, of food, beverages, clothing, passes or other incidental benefits to ski patrol members.
895.482(1)(b)
(b) "Ski patrol member" means a registered member of the national ski patrol who serves in that capacity without compensation.
895.482(2)
(2) Except as provided in
sub. (3), a ski patrol member is immune from civil liability for his or her acts or omissions while he or she is acting in his or her capacity as a ski patrol member, including the rendering of emergency care.
895.482(3)
(3) The immunity under this section does not apply if the act or omission of the ski patrol member involves reckless, wanton or intentional misconduct.
895.482 History
History: 1991 a. 318.
895.483
895.483
Civil liability exemption; regional and local emergency response teams and their sponsoring agencies. 895.483(1)(1) A regional emergency response team, a member of such a team, and a local agency, as defined in
s. 166.22 (1) (c), that contracts with the division of emergency management in the department of military affairs for the provision of a regional emergency response team, are immune from civil liability for acts or omissions related to carrying out responsibilities under a contract under
s. 166.215 (1).
895.483(2)
(2) A local emergency response team, a member of such a team and the county, city, village, or town that contracts to provide the emergency response team to the county are immune from civil liability for acts or omissions related to carrying out responsibilities pursuant to a designation under
s. 166.21 (2m) (e).
895.483(3)
(3) A local emergency planning committee created under
s. 59.54 (8) (a) 1. that receives a grant under
s. 166.21 is immune from civil liability for acts or omissions related to carrying out responsibilities under
s. 166.21.
895.483 Annotation
A town that responds to a Level B hazardous waste release in its own capacity in the absence of a county wide agreement does not receive immunity from civil liability under sub. (2), 1997 Stats., but other statutory and common law immunities apply.
OAG 1-99.
895.485
895.485
Civil liability exemption; agencies, foster parents, treatment foster parents and family-operated group home parents. 895.485(2)
(2) Except as provided in
ss. 167.10 (7) and
343.15 (2), any foster, treatment foster or family-operated group home parent licensed under
s. 48.62 or
48.625 is immune from civil liability for any of the following:
895.485(2)(a)
(a) An act or omission of the foster, treatment foster or family-operated group home parent while that parent is acting in his or her capacity as a foster, treatment foster or family-operated group home parent.
895.485(2)(b)
(b) An act or omission of a child who is placed in a foster home, treatment foster home or family-operated group home while the child is in the foster, treatment foster or family-operated group home parent's care.
895.485(3)
(3) The immunity specified in
sub. (2) does not apply if the act or omission of a foster, treatment foster or family-operated group home parent was not done in good faith or was not in compliance with any written instructions, received from the agency that placed the child, regarding specific care and supervision of the child. The good faith of a foster, treatment foster or family-operated group home parent and the compliance of the foster, treatment foster or family-operated group home parent with any written instructions received from the agency that placed the child are presumed in a civil action. Any person who asserts that a foster, treatment foster or family-operated group home parent did not act in good faith, or did not comply with written instructions received from the agency that placed the child, has the burden of proving that assertion.
895.485(4)
(4) Any agency that acts in good faith in placing a child with a foster, treatment foster or family-operated group home parent is immune from civil liability for any act or omission of the agency, the foster, treatment foster or family-operated group home parent or the child unless all of the following occur:
895.485(4)(a)
(a) The agency has failed to provide the foster, treatment foster. or family-operated group home parent with any information relating to a medical, physical, mental, or emotional condition of the child that it is required to disclose under this paragraph. The department of children and families shall promulgate rules specifying the kind of information that an agency shall disclose to a foster, treatment foster, or family-operated group home parent which relates to a medical, physical, mental, or emotional condition of the child.
895.485(4)(b)
(b) Bodily injury to the child or any other person or damage to the property of the child or any other person occurs as a direct result of the failure under
par. (a).
895.485 Note
NOTE: 1987 Wis. Act 377, which created this section, has a prefatory note explaining the act.
895.485 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also ch.
DCF 37, Wis. adm. code.
895.486
895.486
Civil immunity exemption; reports of insurance fraud. 895.486(1)(1) In this section, "insurance fraud" means the presentation of any statement, document or claim, or the preparation of a statement, document or claim with the knowledge that the statement, document or claim will be presented, that the person knew or should have known contained materially false, incomplete or misleading information concerning any of the following:
895.486(1)(a)
(a) An application for the issuance of an insurance policy.
895.486(1)(b)
(b) A claim for payment, reimbursement or benefits payable under an insurance policy.
895.486(1)(c)
(c) A payment made in accordance with the terms of an insurance policy.
895.486(2)
(2) Any person who, absent malice, files a report with or furnishes information concerning suspected, anticipated, or completed insurance fraud is immune from civil liability for his or her acts or omissions in filing the report or furnishing the information to any of the following or to their agents, employees or designees:
895.486(2)(c)
(c) The National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
895.486(2)(d)
(d) Any governmental agency established to detect and prevent insurance fraud.
895.486(2)(e)
(e) Any nonprofit organization established to detect and prevent insurance fraud.
895.486(2)(f)
(f) Any insurer or authorized representative of an insurer.
895.486(3)
(3) Any information furnished by an insurer in response to a report or information furnished under
sub. (2) is confidential and may be made public only if required in a civil or criminal action.
895.486(4)
(4) If a civil action is commenced against a person for damages related to the filing of a report or the furnishing of information under
sub. (2) and the court determines that the person is immune from civil liability for his or her acts or omissions in filing the report or furnishing the information, the person filing the report or furnishing the information shall recover costs under
ch. 814 and, notwithstanding
s. 814.04 (1), reasonable attorney fees.
895.486 History
History: 1995 a. 177.
895.487
895.487
Civil liability exemption; employment references. 895.487(1)(c)
(c) "Reference" means a statement about an employee's job performance or qualifications for employment and includes a statement about an employee's job performance or qualifications for employment provided pursuant to the settlement of a dispute between the employer and employee or provided pursuant to an agreement between the employer and employee relating to the termination of the employee's employment.
895.487(2)
(2) An employer who, on the request of an employee or a prospective employer of the employee, provides a reference to that prospective employer is presumed to be acting in good faith and, unless lack of good faith is shown by clear and convincing evidence, is immune from all civil liability that may result from providing that reference. The presumption of good faith under this subsection may be rebutted only upon a showing by clear and convincing evidence that the employer knowingly provided false information in the reference, that the employer made the reference maliciously or that the employer made the reference in violation of
s. 111.322.
895.487 History
History: 1995 a. 441;
1997 a. 35.
895.487 Annotation
The malice referred to in sub. (2) is express malice, which requires a showing of ill will, bad intent, envy, spite, hatred, revenge, or other bad motives against the person defamed, and not actual malice, which requires statements made with knowledge of falsity or with reckless disregard for the truth. Gibson v. Overnite Transportation Co. 2003 WI App 210,
267 Wis. 2d 429,
671 N.W.2d 388,
02-3158.
895.487 Annotation
Employer Liability for Employment References. Mac Kelly. Wis. Law. May 2008.
895.497
895.497
Civil liability exemption: furnishing safety services relating to child safety restraint systems. 895.497(1)(a)
(a) "Child passenger safety technician" means a person who holds a valid certification as a child passenger safety technician or technician instructor issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or any entity authorized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue such certifications.
895.497(1)(b)
(b) "Safety program" means any program utilizing the services of child passenger safety technicians and not conducted for pecuniary profit that provides assistance, inspections, education, or advice to the public in the fitting, installation, or adjustment of child safety restraint systems.
895.497(1)(c)
(c) "Sponsoring organization" means any person or organization that does any of the following:
895.497(2)(a)(a) A child passenger safety technician who inspects, installs, fits, or adjusts any child safety restraint system specified under
s. 347.48 (4), or who provides education or other assistance or advice relating to the safe installation, fitting, or adjustment of child safety restraint systems, is immune from civil liability for his or her acts or omissions in rendering in good faith such services.
895.497(2)(b)
(b) The immunity under
par. (a) does not extend to any of the following:
895.497(2)(b)1.
1. A person who receives compensation for providing the services specified in
par. (a), other than reimbursement for expenses.
895.497(2)(b)2.
2. A person whose acts or omissions in providing the services specified in
par. (a) involve reckless, wanton, or intentional misconduct.
895.497(2)(c)
(c) The good faith of a person in providing the services specified in
par. (a) is presumed in any civil action if the services provided are within the scope of the person's training for which the person has been certified. Any person who asserts that the acts or omissions under
par. (a) were not made in good faith has the burden of proving that assertion by clear and convincing evidence.
895.497(3)
(3) A sponsoring organization is immune from civil liability arising from any acts or omissions of a child passenger safety technician in providing services specified in
sub. (2) (a) or arising in connection with a safety program if the sponsoring organization receives no compensation for the services provided by the child passenger safety technician or for participating in the safety program.
895.497 History
History: 2005 a. 322;
2007 a. 97.
895.506
895.506
Civil liability exemption; weight gain and obesity claims. 895.506(1)(1) Any person who manufactures, markets, packs, distributes, advertises, or sells food, as defined in
21 USC 321 (f), is immune from civil liability for a person's weight gain or obesity caused by the consumption of the food, or for a health condition related to weight gain or obesity.
895.506(2)
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to any of the following:
895.506(2)(a)
(a) A claim that a defendant under
sub. (1) knowingly violated a federal or state law concerning the manufacturing, marketing, distribution, advertisement, labeling, or sale of the food, and the violation was the proximate cause of the weight gain, obesity, or related health condition.
895.506(2)(b)
(b) A claim for breach of contract or express warranty in connection with the purchase of the food.
895.506(3)
(3) In addition to the costs allowed under
s. 814.04, a defendant that prevails on a motion under
s. 802.08 filed in an action under
sub. (2) may recover reasonable attorney fees and the costs of the investigation and litigation.
895.506 History
History: 2005 a. 325;
2007 a. 97.
895.51
895.51
Civil liability exemption: food or emergency household products; donation, sale, or distribution. 895.51(1)(b)
(b) "Charitable organization" means an organization the contributions to which are deductible by corporations in computing net income under
s. 71.26 (2).
895.51(1)(bm)
(bm) "Qualified emergency household products" includes flashlights, generators, blankets, personal care products, household cleaning products, and emergency supplies that meet the standards for safety and quality established by federal or state law, regulation, or rule, that are not defective, and that have not been recalled by the consumer products safety commission.
895.51(1)(c)
(c) "Food distribution service" means a program of a private nonprofit organization that provides food products directly to individuals with low incomes or that collects food products for and distributes food products to persons who provide the food products directly to individuals with low incomes.
895.51(1)(dm)
(dm) "Governmental unit" means the United States; the state; any county, city, village, or town; any political subdivision, department, division, board, or agency of the United States, the state, or any county, city, village, or town; or any federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state or an agency of the tribe or band.
895.51(1)(e)
(e) "Qualified food" means food products that meet the standards of quality established by state law or rule or federal law or regulations, including food products that are not readily marketable due to appearance, age, freshness, grade, size, surplusage or other condition, except that "qualified food" does not include canned food products that are leaking, swollen, dented on a seam or not airtight.
895.51(2)
(2) Any person engaged in the processing, distribution, or sale of food products, for profit or not for profit, who donates or sells, at a price not to exceed overhead and transportation costs, qualified food to a charitable organization, food distribution service, or governmental unit is immune from civil liability for the death of or injury to an individual caused by the qualified food donated or sold by the person.
895.51(2m)
(2m) Any person engaged in the manufacturing, distribution, or sale of qualified emergency household products, for profit or not for profit, who donates or sells, at a price not to exceed overhead and transportation costs, qualified emergency household products to a charitable organization or governmental unit in response to a state of emergency declared under
s. 166.03 (1) (b) 1. or
166.23 is immune from civil liability for the death of or injury to an individual caused by the qualified emergency household product donated or sold by the person.
895.51(3)
(3) Any charitable organization or food distribution service which distributes free of charge qualified food to any person is immune from civil liability for the death of or injury to an individual caused by the qualified food distributed by the charitable organization or food distribution service.
895.51(3m)
(3m) Any charitable organization that distributes free of charge qualified emergency household products received under
sub. (2m) is immune from civil liability for the death of or injury to an individual caused by the qualified emergency household product distributed by the charitable organization.
