Municipalities can sue private property owners for emergency response costs from mass casualty events if negligence is proven.

This bill creates a legal pathway for municipalities to recover extraordinary emergency response costs from private property owners if a mass casualty event occurs on their property. The municipality must prove the property owner was negligent in maintaining safety measures, and that this negligence caused the event and the resulting costs. The recovery is limited to documented and reasonable emergency response costs, and the court may award reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs to a prevailing municipality. The act applies to mass casualty events occurring on or after January 1, 2024.

Municipalities can sue private property owners for emergency response costs from mass casualty events if negligence is proven.

This bill creates a legal pathway for municipalities to recover extraordinary emergency response costs from private property owners if a mass casualty event occurs on their property. The municipality must prove the property owner was negligent in maintaining safety measures, and that this negligence caused the event and the resulting costs. The recovery is limited to documented and reasonable emergency response costs, and the court may award reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs to a prevailing municipality. The act applies to mass casualty events occurring on or after January 1, 2024.