{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-2981.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-2981.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-2981.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-2981.html"}],"law_id":77307,"edition_id":1,"section_id":77307,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2981","catch_line":"Short title","history":"1983, c. 532, \u00a7 54-325.8:1; 1988, c. 765; 1992, cc. 748, 772.","full_text":"The provisions of this article shall be known and may be cited as the &#8220;Health Care Decisions Act.&#8221;","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":277281,"text":"The provisions of this article shall be known and may be cited as the &#8220;Health Care Decisions Act.&#8221;","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14683,"edition_id":1,"name":"Health Care Decisions Act","identifier":"8","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12759,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:19","permalink":{"id":242579,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14683,"identifier":"8","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8","url":"\/54.1\/III\/29\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12759,"edition_id":1,"name":"Medicine and Other Healing Arts","identifier":"29","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12758,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241933,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12759,"identifier":"29","token":"54.1\/III\/29","url":"\/54.1\/III\/29\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12758,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241105,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12758,"identifier":"III","token":"54.1\/III","url":"\/54.1\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":77307,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2981","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/54.1-2981\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2981","metadata":false},{"id":56308,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2982","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/54.1-2982\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2982","metadata":false},{"id":57295,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2983","catch_line":"Procedure for making advance directive; 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burden of proof; presumption","url":"\/54.1-2988\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2988","metadata":false},{"id":76186,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2988.1","catch_line":"Assistance with completing and executing advance directives","url":"\/54.1-2988.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2988.1","metadata":false},{"id":75997,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2989","catch_line":"Willful destruction, concealment, etc., of declaration or revocation; penalties","url":"\/54.1-2989\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2989","metadata":false},{"id":63401,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2989.1","catch_line":"Failure to deliver advance directive","url":"\/54.1-2989.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2989.1","metadata":false},{"id":83098,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2990","catch_line":"Medically unnecessary health care not required; procedure when physician refuses to comply with an advance directive or a designated person's health care decision; mercy killing or euthanasia prohibited","url":"\/54.1-2990\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2990","metadata":false},{"id":78993,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2991","catch_line":"Effect of declaration; suicide; insurance; declarations executed prior to effective date","url":"\/54.1-2991\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2991","metadata":false},{"id":74741,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2992","catch_line":"Preservation of existing rights","url":"\/54.1-2992\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2992","metadata":false},{"id":58521,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2993","catch_line":"Reciprocity","url":"\/54.1-2993\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2993","metadata":false},{"id":76420,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2993.1","catch_line":"Qualified advance directive facilitators; requirements for training programs","url":"\/54.1-2993.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2993.1","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":56308,"structure_id":14683,"section_number":"54.1-2982","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/54.1-2982\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2982","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-2981\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1983. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 532 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1983 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1988, chapter 765; in 1992, chapters 748 and 772.<\/p>","references":[{"id":70553,"section_number":"18.2-369","catch_line":"Abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults; penalties","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-369\/"},{"id":58930,"section_number":"32.1-127.1:03","catch_line":"Health records privacy","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-127.1_03\/"},{"id":81426,"section_number":"32.1-291.21","catch_line":"Effect of anatomical gift on advance health-care directive","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-291.21\/"},{"id":77747,"section_number":"32.1-325","catch_line":"Board to submit plan for medical assistance services to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to federal law; administration of plan; contracts with health care providers","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-325\/"},{"id":60379,"section_number":"37.2-1101","catch_line":"Judicial authorization of treatment","order_by":null,"url":"\/37.2-1101\/"},{"id":59505,"section_number":"37.2-1108","catch_line":"Effect of chapter on other laws","order_by":null,"url":"\/37.2-1108\/"},{"id":57446,"section_number":"37.2-804.2","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Disclosure of records","order_by":null,"url":"\/37.2-804.2\/"},{"id":73953,"section_number":"37.2-805.1","catch_line":"Admission of incapacitated persons pursuant to advance directives or by guardians","order_by":null,"url":"\/37.2-805.1\/"},{"id":80976,"section_number":"37.2-837","catch_line":"Discharge from state hospitals or training centers, conditional release, and trial or home visits for individuals","order_by":null,"url":"\/37.2-837\/"},{"id":56627,"section_number":"37.2-838","catch_line":"Discharge of individuals from a licensed hospital","order_by":null,"url":"\/37.2-838\/"},{"id":59293,"section_number":"53.1-133.04","catch_line":"Medical and mental health treatment of prisoners incapable of giving consent","order_by":null,"url":"\/53.1-133.04\/"},{"id":79267,"section_number":"54.1-2995","catch_line":"Filing of documents with the registry; regulations; fees","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2995\/"},{"id":75440,"section_number":"63.2-501","catch_line":"Application for assistance","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-501\/"},{"id":65289,"section_number":"64.2-2009","catch_line":"Court order of appointment; limited guardianships and conservatorships","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-2009\/"},{"id":54266,"section_number":"64.2-2019","catch_line":"Duties and powers of guardian","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-2019\/"},{"id":73897,"section_number":"8.01-622.1","catch_line":"Injunction against assisted suicide; damages; professional sanctions","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-622.1\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":242581,"object_type":"law","relational_id":77307,"identifier":"54.1-2981","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2981","url":"\/54.1-2981\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-2981\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/8\/54.1-2981","dublin_core":{"Title":"Short title","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-2981","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>The provisions of this article shall be known and may be cited as the &#8220;<span class=\"dictionary\">Health Care<\/span> Decisions Act.&#8221;<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSHORT TITLE (\u00a7 54.1-2981)\n\nThe provisions of this article shall be known and may be cited as the\n&#8220;Health Care Decisions Act.&#8221;\n\nHISTORY: 1983, c. 532, \u00a7 54-325.8:1; 1988, c. 765; 1992, cc. 748, 772.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}