118 STAT. 3842 PUBLIC LAW 108–458—DEC. 17, 2004 and localities, including the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. (4) RIGHTS DESCRIBED.—Other than as described in this section, the rights and responsibilities of the parties to a mutual aid agreement entered into under this section shall be as described in the mutual aid agreement. (c) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The District of Columbia may purchase liability and indemnification insurance or become self insured against claims arising under a mutual aid agreement author- ized under this section. (2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are author- ized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out paragraph (1). (d) LIABILITY AND ACTIONS AT LAW.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Any responding party or its officers or employees rendering aid or failing to render aid to the District of Columbia, the Federal Government, the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, or a locality, under a mutual aid agreement authorized under this section, and any party or its officers or employees engaged in training activities with another party under such a mutual aid agreement, shall be liable on account of any act or omission of its officers or employees while so engaged or on account of the maintenance or use of any related equipment, facilities, or supplies, but only to the extent permitted under the laws and procedures of the State of the party rendering aid. (2) ACTIONS.—Any action brought against a party or its officers or employees on account of an act or omission in the rendering of aid to the District of Columbia, the Federal Government, the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, or a locality, or failure to render such aid or on account of the maintenance or use of any related equipment, facilities, or supplies may be brought only under the laws and procedures of the State of the party rendering aid and only in the Federal or State courts located therein. Actions against the United States under this section may be brought only in Federal courts. (3) IMMUNITIES.—This section shall not abrogate any other immunities from liability that any party has under any other Federal or State law. (e) WORKERS COMPENSATION.— (1) COMPENSATION.—Each party shall provide for the pay- ment of compensation and death benefits to injured members of the emergency forces of that party and representatives of deceased members of such forces if such members sustain injuries or are killed while rendering aid to the District of Columbia, the Federal Government, the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, or a locality, under a mutual aid agreement, or engaged in training activities under a mutual aid agreement, in the same manner and on the same terms as if the injury or death were sustained within their own jurisdiction. (2) OTHER STATE LAW.—No party shall be liable under the law of any State other than its own for providing for the payment of compensation and death benefits to injured VerDate 11-MAY-2000 13:54 Nov 10, 2005 Jkt 029194 PO 00000 Frm 00376 Fmt 6580 Sfmt 6581 C:\STATUTES\2004\29194PT4.001 APPS10 PsN: 29194PT4
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