Maryland Code § CJ-5-802

Section CJ-5-802
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(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.
(2) "Athletic official" means an individual who officiates, referees, or
umpires an interscholastic, intercollegiate, or any other amateur athletic contest
conducted by a nonprofit or governmental body.
(3) (i) "Community recreation program" means an athletic,
fitness, or recreation activity:
1. Organized for pleasure, recreation, or other
nonprofit purposes;
2. That has substantially all of its activities conducted
for pleasure, recreation, or other nonprofit purposes; and
3. That does not have any part of the net earnings
benefiting any private shareholder.
(ii) "Community recreation program" does not include a public
or private educational institution's athletic program.
(4) "Compensation" does not include actual and necessary expenses
that are incurred by a volunteer in connection with the services provided or duties
performed by the volunteer on behalf of a community recreation program, and that
are reimbursed to the volunteer or otherwise paid.
(5) "Volunteer" means a person who provides services or performs
duties as an athletic coach, manager, official, program leader, or assistant for a
community recreation program without receiving compensation.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, a volunteer is not
personally liable for damages in any civil action brought against the volunteer by

virtue of the volunteer's act or omission in providing services or performing duties on
behalf of a community recreation program.
(c) A volunteer is personally liable for damages in any civil action brought
against the volunteer in which it is found that:
(1) The damages were the result of the volunteer's negligent
operation of a motor vehicle;
(2) The damages were the result of the volunteer's willful, wanton, or
grossly negligent act or omission; or
(3) The damages were the result of the volunteer's negligence in
permitting an unsupervised competition, practice, or activity.
(d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, an athletic
official is not personally liable in damages in any civil action brought against the
athletic official by a player, a participant, or a spectator by virtue of the athletic
official's act or omission arising out of the athletic official's duties and services
performed while acting in the capacity of athletic official.
(2) An athletic official is personally liable for damages in any civil
action brought against the athletic official in which it is found that the damages were
the result of the athletic official's willful, wanton, or grossly negligent act or omission.
(e) (1) This section does not create, and may not be construed as
creating, a new cause of action or substantive legal right against an athletic official
or a volunteer.
(2) This section does not affect, and may not be construed as
affecting, any immunities from civil liability or defenses established by any other
provision of the Code or available at common law, to which an athletic official or
volunteer may be entitled.

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