Calif. Assembly committee passes recreational-use liability bill
Measure now goes to full Assembly
The California Assembly’s Judiciary Committee passed SB 1072, a measure that would include general aviation under a current code that limits a landowner’s liability for recreational use of the property by others, on June 10. The bill was introduced on Feb. 19 by Sen. Jean Fuller on behalf of the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) with AOPA support, and passed the full Senate on May 1.
Current California code limits a landowner’s liability for recreational use of the property by others, and specific recreational uses covered under the statute include hang gliding and sport parachuting. “However, it is not clear if general aviation activities are covered, thus causing some airstrip owners to deny access to general aviation aircraft out of fear of liability,” said AOPA Western Regional Manager John Pfeifer. “AOPA worked to support SB 1072 because it would clearly define private, noncommercial aviation activities as a covered recreational use.”
AOPA, along with the RAF and the Association of California Airports (ACA), are actively supporting SB 1072. Pfeifer was in Sacramento at a hearing in support of the bill in the Assembly Judiciary Committee on June 10. Because there is no fiscal impact to the state, the bill now goes directly to the full Assembly.
