Good Samaritan Hot Car Bill Passed and Signed!

Posted on , updated on by Adlaadmin

Governor Ducey has signed the Good Samaritan Hot Car Bill into law!

HB 2494, sponsored by Representative Heather Carter, passed the Arizona House on the final day of the session by a vote of 35-20-5 and was signed by Governor Ducey.  The measure aims to end hot-car deaths and allows good Samaritans to take action without risk of civil liability if they rescue a child or a pet from a hot car.

The original bill (SB 1001) was sponsored by Senator John Kavanagh, a longtime animal welfare advocate who drafted the legislation with the support of the Humane Legislative Coalition of Arizona (HLCA) comprised of the Animal Defense League of Arizona, the Arizona Humane Society, Humane Society of Southern Arizona and Humane Voters of Arizona. The Humane Society of the United States and Don’t Leave Me.org. also supported the bill. Although SB 1001 passed the Senate by a 25 to 5 vote, it died in the House,  but was revived by Representative Heather Carter as a strike-all amendment to her unrelated bill, HB 2494.

ADLA thanks HLCA government consultant Brian Tassinari for his efforts to get HB 2494 passed. Also thanks to the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association for endorsing this legislation. And finally, thanks to everyone who contacted their legislators in support of HB 2494.

HB 2494 Provisions

A person who uses reasonable force to remove a child or domestic animal from a locked motor vehicle is not liable for damages in a civil action if they comply with the following conditions:

  1. The rescuer has a good faith belief that the confined child or pet is in imminent danger of suffering physical injury or death unless they are removed from the vehicle.
  2. The rescuer determines the car is locked or there is no reasonable manner in which the person can remove the child or pet.
  3. Before entering the vehicle, the rescuer notifies the proper authorities (defined).
  4. The rescuer does not use more force than is necessary under the circumstances to enter the vehicle.
  5. The rescuer remains with the child or pet until the authorities arrive.

Read more about the bill here.
Photo of Chester courtesy of Animal Legal Defense Fund