A much belated reply to the request for information on insurance
coverage for volunteers:

The volunteer services agreement which has been used within the past
few years by the USGS says, basically, that:
 - volunteer service does not confer status of a Federal employee
upon the volunteer, and
 - while the volunteer is acting within the scope of the agreement,
the volunteer is covered under provisions of the Federal Tort Claims
Act, which protects them from liability for injury or damage to
others while acting with their scope as a volunteer, and
 - the volunteer is covered under provisions of the Federal Employees
Compensation Act regarding compensation for work-related injury, and
 - the volunteer understands the health and physcial conditions
requirements for performing the services described in the project
description.

These relate to volunteers in a Federal agency, but I was wondering
whether states or other governmental entities would have similar
coverage for employees which could be extended to volunteers in those
institutions, with the understanding that volunteer status does not
confer status of an employee.

Carol Edwards, USGS Field Records Library, Denver
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