AB 635: Space flight liability and immunity.

Existing law limits the civil liability of a space flight entity, as defined, if the entity had a participant in space flight activities sign a warning statement, as specified. Existing law does not limit a space flight entitys civil liability, even if a participant signed the warning statement, if the entity had actual knowledge or reasonably should have known of a dangerous condition on the land or in the facilities or equipment used in the space flight activities and the dangerous condition proximately causes injury, damage, or death to the participant. Existing law does not limit the liability of a manufacturer of a part or component used in space flight activities if a defective part or component proximately causes injury to a participant.

This bill would define a space flight manufacturer entity to mean a manufacturer of a part or component used in space flight activities. a public or private entity that holds, either directly or through a corporate subsidiary or parent, a license, permit, or other authorization issued under federal law, as specified. The bill would limit civil liability of a space flight manufacturer entity if the space flight entity had a participant or crewmember in space flight activities sign a warning statement, as specified. The bill would not limit a space flight manufacturers entitys civil liability, even if a participant or crewmember signed the warning statement, if either the space flight entity or space flight manufacturer had actual knowledge or reasonably should have known of a an extraordinarily dangerous condition on the land or in the facilities or equipment used in the space flight activities that is not inherent to space flight activities and the extraordinarily dangerous condition proximately causes injury, damage, or death to the participant. The bill would declare provide that a space flight manufacturer entity is not strictly liable for personal injury or wrongful death resulting from space flight activities.