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H.R. 2166: Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act

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H.R. 2166: Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act

113th Congress · introduced 2013-05-23 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2013-05-23 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Heck, Joseph J. [R-NV-3] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: 1 recorded vote in our records. Latest: House roll call 24 (2014): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, HR2166 (2014-01-27), Passed. See all
  4. Where it stands now: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act

Plain summary

Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to implement a process to provide eligible organizations and individuals expedited access to federal lands to conduct good Samaritan search-and-recovery missions. Requires such process to include provisions that clarify that: (1) an eligible organization or eligible individual granted access shall be acting for private purposes and shall not be considered a federal volunteer, (2) an eligible organization or eligible individual shall not be considered a volunteer under the Volunteers in the Parks Act of 1969, and (3) neither the Federal Torts Claim Act nor the Federal Employee Compensation Act shall apply to an eligible organization or eligible individual. Bars the Secretaries from requiring an eligible organization or eligible individual to have liability insurance as a condition of accessing federal lands under this Act if it: (1) acknowledges and consents, in writing, to these clarifying provisions; and (2) signs a waiver releasing the federal government from all liability related to the access granted. Sets forth procedures for the approval or denial of requests made by eligible organizations or individuals to carry out a good Samaritan search-and-recovery mission. Requires the Secretaries to develop search-and-recovery focused partnerships with search-and-recovery organizations to: (1) coordinate good Samaritan search-and-recovery missions on such lands, and (2) expedite and accelerate mission efforts for missing individuals on such lands. Requires the Secretaries to submit a joint report to Congress that describes: (1) their plans for developing such partnerships, and (2) the efforts being taken to expedite and accelerate such mission efforts.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Heck, Joseph J. [R-NV-3] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mark E. Amodei (R-NV)

Recorded votes

Sources

Record fed-us-cong113-hr2166 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113