(A) As used in this section, "counseling and assistance committee" means a committee of a professional organization whose purpose is to render counseling and assistance to members of the profession whose personal or professional lives are or reasonably appear to be impaired by reason of substance abuse, chemical dependency, or mental illness.

(B) No member or employee of a peer review committee, professional standards review committee, or counseling and assistance committee of a state or local professional organization composed of doctors of chiropractic, doctors of veterinary medicine, attorneys at law, real estate brokers, architects, professional engineers, certified public accountants, public accountants, or registered nurses is liable to any person for any action taken or recommendation made within the scope of the functions of the committee, if the committee member or employee acts without malice and in the reasonable belief that the action or recommendation is warranted by the facts known to him after reasonable effort to obtain the facts of the matter as to which the action is taken or recommendation is made.

(C) Division (B) of this section also shall apply to any member or employee of a nonprofit corporation that is engaged in performing the functions of a peer review committee, professional standards review committee, or counseling and assistance committee of a state or local professional organization composed of doctors of chiropractic, doctors of veterinary medicine, attorneys at law, real estate brokers, architects, professional engineers, certified public accountants, public accountants, or registered nurses.

(D) No person who provides information to a peer review committee, professional standards review committee, or counseling and assistance committee of a state or local professional organization as described in division (B) of this section, to a nonprofit corporation as described in division (C) of this section, or to a member or employee of such a peer review committee, professional standards review committee, counseling and assistance committee, or nonprofit corporation, without malice and in the reasonable belief that the information is warranted by the facts known to him is liable in damages in a civil action as a result of providing that information.

Effective Date: 07-01-1992 .