Reagan signs the Westfall Act shielding federal workers from personal tort liability

President Reagan signed the Westfall Act on November 18, 1988, substituting the United States as sole defendant whenever a federal employee is sued for actions within the scope of employment. Representative Byron Dorgan of North Dakota sponsored the bill after the Supreme Court's Westfall v. Erwin ruling exposed civil servants to personal lawsuits for on-duty accidents. Congress designed the law to protect career civil servants — not to immunize senior officials or a president from liability for personal conduct unrelated to official duties.