59:3-15 Immunity from liability for certain professional services under certain circumstances.

1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary and except as provided in P.L.2014, c.53 (C.59:3-15 et seq.), an architect licensed pursuant to R.S.45:3-1 et seq. or a professional engineer licensed pursuant to P.L.1938, c.342 (C.45:8-27 et seq.) shall not be personally liable for any personal injury, wrongful death, property damage, or other loss caused by an act, error, or omission while practicing architecture or engineering, respectively, if the practice of architecture or engineering was performed:

a. voluntarily and without compensation;

b. at the request of a public safety official, acting in an official capacity; and

c. at the scene of a declared national, State, or local emergency caused by a major earthquake, hurricane, tornado, fire, explosion, collapse, or similar disaster or catastrophic event, during or within 90 days following the emergency, or for any extended period as determined by executive order issued by the Governor under the Governor's emergency executive powers.

For purposes of the New Jersey Tort Claims Act, N.J.S.59:1-1 et seq., an architect or engineer entitled to immunity under this section shall be considered an employee of the public entity on whose behalf the public safety official requested that the architect or engineer perform the practice of architecture or engineering. Nothing in P.L.2014, c.53 (C.59:3-15 et seq.) shall be construed to provide such architect or engineer with any right or entitlement to workers' compensation from such public entity.

As used in this section:

"Public safety official" means any appointed or elected federal, State, or local official with executive responsibility to coordinate public safety or law enforcement in the jurisdiction in which the emergency has occurred.

"Employee" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in N.J.S.59:1-3.

L.2014, c.53, s.1.