00CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 479(JUD)                                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to civil liability for injuries or death resulting from equine                                         
02 activities."                                                                                                            
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1.  AS 09.65 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                   
05     Sec. 09.65.145.  IMMUNITY FOR INJURIES RESULTING FROM EQUINE                                                       
06 ACTIVITIES.  (a)  Except as provided in (b) of this section, a person, and the personal                                 
07 representative of a person, who suffers an injury or death resulting from an inherent                                   
08 risk of an equine activity may not recover civil damages from an equine activity                                        
09 sponsor, an equine professional, or an equine owner.                                                                    
10  (b)  This section does not affect a civil action for damages resulting from                                           
11   (1)  gross negligence or reckless or intentional misconduct of the equine                                            
12 activity sponsor,  equine professional, or equine owner, or agents or employees of the                                  
13 equine activity sponsor, equine professional, or equine owner;                                                          
14   (2)  a dangerous latent condition that is known or should have been                                                  

01 known to the equine activity sponsor, equine professional, or equine owner and for                                      
02 which warning signs have not been conspicuously posted if the equine activity sponsor,                                  
03 equine professional, or equine owner owns, leases, rents, or is otherwise in lawful                                     
04 possession and control of the land or facilities where the injury or injuries resulting in                              
05 death occurred;                                                                                                         
06   (3)  faulty or defective equipment, tack, or a product provided by the                                               
07 equine activity sponsor, equine professional, or equine owner;                                                          
08   (4)  the failure of the equine activity sponsor, equine professional, or                                             
09 equine owner who provided the equine to make reasonable efforts to determine the                                        
10 ability of the injured person to participate safely in the equine activity and to safely                                
11 manage the equine involved in the equine activity;                                                                      
12   (5)  injury or death of a spectator.                                                                                 
13  (c)  In this section,                                                                                                 
14   (1)  "equine" means a horse, pony, mule, donkey, or hinny;                                                           
15   (2)  "equine activity" means a show, fair, competition, performance, or                                              
16 parade involving an equine, equine riding, inspecting, evaluating, boarding, training,                                  
17 or teaching;                                                                                                            
18   (3)  "equine activity sponsor" means a person who provides an equine,                                                
19 land, or facilities for an equine activity;                                                                             
20   (4)  "equine professional" means a person who receives compensation                                                  
21 for instructing during an equine activity, for sponsoring an equine activity, or for the                                
22 use of an equine;                                                                                                       
23   (5)  "inherent risk of an equine activity" means a danger or condition                                               
24 that is an integral part of an equine activity, including                                                               
25   (A)  the propensity of an equine to behave in a way that may                                                        
26 result in injury, harm, or death to a person on or around the equine;                                                   
27   (B)  the unpredictability of an equine's reaction to a sound,                                                       
28 sudden movement, or unfamiliar object, person, or other animal;                                                         
29   (C)  collisions with other equines, objects, or a person; or                                                        
30   (D)  the potential of a person to act in a negligent manner that                                                    
31 may contribute to injury to the person or others.                                                                       

01    * Sec. 2.  This Act applies to a civil action that accrues on or after the effective date of this                    
02 Act.