Except as otherwise provided in this section, a volunteer shall not be deemed a Federal employee and shall not be subject to the provisions of law relating to Federal employment, including those relating to hours of work, rates of compensation, leave, unemployment compensation, and Federal employee benefits.

For the purpose of the tort claim provisions of title 28, a volunteer under sections 558a to 558d of this title shall be considered a Federal employee.

For the purposes of subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, relating to compensation to Federal employees for work injuries, volunteers under sections 558a to 558d of this title shall be deemed civil employees of the United States within the meaning of the term “employee” as defined in section 8101 of title 5, and the provisions of that subchapter shall apply.

For the purposes of claims relating to damage to, or loss of, personal property of a volunteer incident to volunteer service, a volunteer under sections 558a to 558d of this title shall be considered a Federal employee, and the provisions of section 3721 of title 31 shall apply.

For the purposes of subsections (b), (c), and (d), the term “volunteer” includes a person providing volunteer services to the Secretary who—

(1) is recruited, trained, and supported by a cooperator under a mutual benefit agreement with the Secretary; and

performs such volunteer services under the supervision of the cooperator as directed by the Secretary in the mutual benefit agreement, including direction that specifies—

(A) the volunteer services to be performed by the volunteers and the supervision to be provided by the cooperator;

(B) the applicable project safety standards and protocols to be adhered to by the volunteers and enforced by the cooperator; and

(C) the on-site visits to be made by the Secretary, when feasible, to verify that volunteers are performing the volunteer services and the cooperator is providing the supervision agreed upon.

(Pub. L. 92–300, § 3, May 18, 1972, 86 Stat. 147; Pub. L. 101–286, title II, § 204(a), May 9, 1990, 104 Stat. 175; Pub. L. 114–245, § 4(d)(1), Nov. 28, 2016, 130 Stat. 992.)