NC legislators approve zip line bill

June 30--RALEIGH -- A bill that would require operators of aerial activities like zip lines to carry liability insurance has unanimously passed the N.C. General Assembly.

N.C. Sen. Michael Lee, R-New Hanover, a prime co-sponsor on Senate Bill 100, said the legislation came about after several high-profile accidents -- including the death of 12-year-old Sanders Burney of Wilmington in 2015 in a zip line accident. Under current law, aerial activities like zip lines are not regulated and are not required to carry liability insurance.

The bill, which has been sent to Gov. Roy Cooper, would require liability insurance of at least $1 million to operate an aerial activity and charge a fee.

"Now, all such operators will be required to carry liability insurance," Lee said Friday. "This is a great first step in the discussion of how this industry is regulated to insure safety."

Lee said the bill's requirement that companies operating aerial tours or adventures carry insurance could mean de facto regulation by private insurance carriers instead of the government. The idea, he said, is that insurance carriers will want to see significant safety steps taken before agreeing to cover a company for a potential $1 million loss.

The bill would not apply to operations on private property that are not open to the public and do not charge a fee to use.

Reporter Tim Buckland can be reached at 910-343-2217 or Tim.Buckland@StarNewsOnline.com.

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