A. The legislature hereby recognizes that there are inherent risks in various adventure, educational, or recreational activities which should be understood by the participants and which are essentially impossible for nonprofit youth organizations and their providers to completely eliminate. Accordingly, it is the purpose of this Section to define those areas of responsibility and those affirmative acts for which these nonprofit organizations and their providers of adventure, educational, or recreational activities in the Atchafalaya Basin shall be liable, and to further define those risks which the participants expressly acknowledge and for which there can be no recovery.

            B. As used in this Section:

            (1) “Adventure, educational, or recreational activities” means activities which are: (a) sponsored by a nonprofit youth organization or provider which include but are not limited to any of the following: hunting, fishing, trapping, swimming, boating, camping, picnicking, hiking, horseback riding, bicycle riding, motorized or nonmotorized vehicle operation for recreation purposes, nature study, water skiing, ice skating, roller skating, roller blading, skate boarding, sledding, snowmobiling, snow skiing, summer and winter sports, or viewing or enjoying historical, archaeological, scenic, or scientific sites; and (b) conducted or commenced on a youth adventure center and which may extend to other accessible public or private land or waterways, including transportation to and from such land or waterways.

            (2) “Atchafalaya Basin” means the area of land and waterways located within one mile of and all areas within the outermost levees of the Atchafalaya Basin, and bounded on the north by U.S. Highway 190 and on the south by Morgan City.

            (3) “Nonprofit youth organization” means any nonprofit organization qualified as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, with a registered membership of at least one thousand persons within the state of Louisiana, including any subsidiary, affiliate, or other related entity within its corporate or other business structure, that has been chartered by the United States Congress, regardless of any requirement to pay dues or tuition in order to become a member of or participate with the organization, and that has established a youth adventure center in an area of at least four hundred contiguous acres within the Atchafalaya Basin in which to provide adventure, educational, or recreational activities for members and participants.

            (4) “Participant” means any person engaging in an adventure, educational, or recreational activity sponsored by a nonprofit youth organization or provider.

            (5) “Person” means individuals regardless of age.

            (6) “Provider” means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, association, public or private corporation, the United States or any federal agency, this state or any political subdivision of this state, and any other legal entity which engages, with or without compensation, in organizing, promoting, presenting, providing, or assisting in providing an adventure, educational, or recreational activity sponsored by a nonprofit youth organization, including one that allows the nonprofit youth organization the use of its land for the adventure, educational, or recreational activity.

            (7) “Youth adventure center” means land and facilities managed by a nonprofit youth organization or provider for adventure, educational, or recreational activities in order to develop the ability of participants to become more self-sufficient and to learn the value of helping others.

            C. Every nonprofit youth organization or provider shall have all of the following duties:

            (1) Make reasonable and prudent efforts to determine the ability of a participant to safely engage in an adventure, educational, or recreational activity.

            (2) Make known to any participant any dangerous traits or characteristics or any physical impairments or conditions related to a particular adventure, educational, or recreational activity, of which the nonprofit youth organization or provider knows or through the exercise of due diligence should know.

            (3) Make known to any participant any dangerous condition as to land or facilities under the lawful possession and control of the nonprofit youth organization or provider, of which the nonprofit youth organization or provider knows or through the exercise of due diligence should know, by advising the participant in writing or by conspicuously posting warning signs upon the premises.

            (4) Assure that each participant has or is provided all equipment reasonably necessary for all activities covered by this Section and, in providing equipment to a participant, make reasonable and prudent efforts to inspect such equipment to assure that it is in proper working condition and safe for use in the adventure, educational, or recreational activity.

            (5) Prepare and present to each participant or prospective participant, for the participant’s inspection and signature, a statement which clearly and concisely explains the liability limitations, restrictions, and responsibilities set forth in this Section, provided that the statement shall not contain nor have the effect of a waiver of a nonprofit youth organization or provider’s duties set forth in this Section. For participants under the age of eighteen or of any age who have a legally appointed guardian, the statement shall also require the acknowledgment of their parent or legal guardian.

            (6) Make reasonable efforts to provide supervision of participants while engaged in activities under this Section.

            D. Each participant shall have all of the following duties:

            (1) Acknowledge that the adventure, educational, or recreational activities described in this Section are hazardous to participants, regardless of all feasible safety measures which can be taken.

            (2) Expressly acknowledge the risk of and legal responsibility for any injury, loss, or damage to person or property which may result from participation in an adventure, educational, or recreational activity.

            (3) Have the individual responsibility for knowing the range of the participant’s own ability to participate in a particular adventure, educational, or recreational activity, acting within the limits of the participant’s own ability, heeding all posted warnings, acting in accordance with the instructions of any employee of the nonprofit youth organization or provider, performing an adventure, educational, or recreational activity only in an area or facility designated by the nonprofit youth organization or provider, and refraining from acting in a manner which may cause or contribute to the injury of anyone.

            (4) Remain in the area or facility where the adventure, educational, or recreational activity took place in the event of an accident causing injury, unless the participant leaves personal identification and contact information, notifies the proper authorities, or obtains assistance when that participant knows or reasonably should know that any other person involved in the accident is in need of medical or other assistance.

            (5) Participants under the age of eighteen or of any age who have a legally appointed guardian shall also require the acknowledgment of their parent or legal guardian with regard to their duties under this Section.

            E. A nonprofit youth organization or provider shall be liable for any of the following:

            (1) Injury, loss, or damage directly resulting from the failure to follow any of the duties set forth in Subsection C of this Section. A nonprofit youth organization or provider shall not be liable for any injury, loss, or damage caused by the negligence of any person who is not an agent or employee of the nonprofit youth organization or provider.

            (2) Acts or omissions which constitute gross negligence or willful and wanton conduct which is the direct cause of injury to a participant.

            (3) An intentional act by an agent or employee of the nonprofit youth organization or provider which is the direct cause of injury or damages to a participant.

            F. Every nonprofit youth organization and any provider for such nonprofit youth organization shall carry liability insurance in limits of no less than one million dollars per person, three million dollars per occurrence, and fifty thousand dollars for property damage with coverage extending to any employee or volunteer of the nonprofit youth organization or provider in the course of their duties as an employee or volunteer. The nonprofit youth organization, its employees, or agents shall not be responsible for any loss or damages in excess of or in addition to the limits of liability insurance coverage required by this Section. The failure to have in effect the insurance required by this Section shall prevent the nonprofit youth organization or provider from relying on the provisions of this Section in any civil action brought by a participant.

            Acts 2015, No. 437, §1.