Number: 97-579 Title: Making Private Entities and Individuals Immune from Tort Liability by Declaring them Federal Employees Authors: Henry Cohen, American Law Division Abstract: The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), 28 USC 1346 (b), 2671-2680, makes the United States liable for some of the torts of its employees committed within the scope of their employment. Sometimes, Congress wishes to immunize a private organization, or its employees or volunteers, from tort liability. One way it may do so it to enact a statute declaring that the organization or its employees or volunteers shall be deemed federal employees for purposes of the FTCA. This report discusses the pros and cons of this type of statute, and then lists examples of more than 50 such statutes. Pages: 6 Date: July 11, 2008