OLYMPIA – Eighty-seven years ago, way back in 1925, Helen Keller delivered a stirring, inspiring keynote address at the Lions International convention. Among the points Keller hammered home that day, she challenged Lions “to become Knights of the Blind in the crusade against darkness.”
Well, yes, sure enough, Lions all over the world answered Helen Keller’s challenge. You best believe they continue to answer it every day.
Fact is, according to state Rep. Dean Takko, upward of 200,000 pairs of used, good-quality eyeglasses are distributed every year around the nation to folks who are vision-impaired. And what do you know? Just yesterday, Takko, himself a 34-year Lions Club member, won unanimous House of Representatives support for his legislation that would limit liability of charitable organizations, such as the Lions, for providing previously owned eyeglasses or hearing instruments. The bill is now in the Senate for more discussion.
“We need this measure to make sure these organizations are able to continue their important program and public service of recycling eyeglasses,” Takko explained in speaking for the bill after it was sent from the House over to the Senate for more conversation.
Current Washington law — the “Good Samaritan Act” — says people who render care at an emergency (as long as these people don’t expect any compensation for their good samaritanism) have immunity from liability in any lawsuits that might be considered against them.
The law has been strengthened over the years. Specifically, immunity is assured for physicians and other health-care providers volunteering health-care services with nonprofit organizations or with for-profit groups that regularly provide services to uninsured people.
Services must be given without payment or expectation of payment in order for the immunity-protection to apply. These immunity provisions don’t protect people from lawsuits brought against them for gross negligence.