{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/8.01-581.19_1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/8.01-581.19_1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/8.01-581.19_1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/8.01-581.19_1.html"}],"law_id":59744,"edition_id":1,"section_id":59744,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.19:1","catch_line":"Civil immunity for persons providing information to certain committees","history":"1986, c. 604; 1987, c. 713; 1989, c. 729; 1993, c. 702; 1996, cc. 937, 980.","full_text":"Any person who provides information to any committee, board, group, commission, or other entity which is authorized to investigate any complaint of physical or mental impairment, that may show that any practitioner of medicine, osteopathy, optometry, chiropractic, podiatry, clinical psychology, physical therapy, veterinary medicine or any physical therapist assistant is unable to practice his profession with reasonable skill and safety, by reason of the use of alcohol, drugs, or other substances, or as a result of any mental or physical condition, shall be immune from civil liability for any act done for, or any utterance or communication made to, such entity in the course of providing such information. However, this section shall not apply if the act, utterance, or communication is done or made in bad faith or with malicious intent or if such disclosure is prohibited by federal law or regulations promulgated thereunder.\n\t\tThe provisions of this section shall apply only to such entities described in this section as are (i) established pursuant to a federal or state law, (ii) established and duly constituted by one or more public or licensed private hospitals, (iii) a medical or chiropractic society that is operating its health care provider impairment program in cooperation with the Board of Medicine, or another governmental agency, (iv) an optometric society or association that is operating its optometric impairment program in cooperation with the Virginia Board of Optometry, (v) a veterinary medical association that is operating its veterinarian impairment program in cooperation with the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine, or (vi) a clinical psychology academy that is operating its clinical psychology impairment program in cooperation with the Board of Psychology.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":218794,"text":"Any person who provides information to any committee, board, group, commission, or other entity which is authorized to investigate any complaint of physical or mental impairment, that may show that any practitioner of medicine, osteopathy, optometry, chiropractic, podiatry, clinical psychology, physical therapy, veterinary medicine or any physical therapist assistant is unable to practice his profession with reasonable skill and safety, by reason of the use of alcohol, drugs, or other substances, or as a result of any mental or physical condition, shall be immune from civil liability for any act done for, or any utterance or communication made to, such entity in the course of providing such information. However, this section shall not apply if the act, utterance, or communication is done or made in bad faith or with malicious intent or if such disclosure is prohibited by federal law or regulations promulgated thereunder.\n\t\tThe provisions of this section shall apply only to such entities described in this section as are (i) established pursuant to a federal or state law, (ii) established and duly constituted by one or more public or licensed private hospitals, (iii) a medical or chiropractic society that is operating its health care provider impairment program in cooperation with the Board of Medicine, or another governmental agency, (iv) an optometric society or association that is operating its optometric impairment program in cooperation with the Virginia Board of Optometry, (v) a veterinary medical association that is operating its veterinarian impairment program in cooperation with the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine, or (vi) a clinical psychology academy that is operating its clinical psychology impairment program in cooperation with the Board of Psychology.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14388,"edition_id":1,"name":"Miscellaneous Provisions","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14387,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:58","permalink":{"id":278979,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14388,"identifier":"2","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2","url":"\/8.01\/21.1\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14387,"edition_id":1,"name":"Medical Malpractice","identifier":"21.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12747,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:58","permalink":{"id":278895,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14387,"identifier":"21.1","token":"8.01\/21.1","url":"\/8.01\/21.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12747,"edition_id":1,"name":"Civil Remedies and Procedure","identifier":"8.01","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":277029,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12747,"identifier":"8.01","token":"8.01","url":"\/8.01\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":59392,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.13","catch_line":"Civil immunity for certain health professionals and health profession students serving as members of certain entities","url":"\/8.01-581.13\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.13","metadata":false},{"id":60855,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.14","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/8.01-581.14\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.14","metadata":false},{"id":66555,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.15","catch_line":"Limitation on recovery in certain medical malpractice actions","url":"\/8.01-581.15\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.15","metadata":false},{"id":55726,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.16","catch_line":"Civil immunity for members of or consultants to certain boards or committees","url":"\/8.01-581.16\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.16","metadata":false},{"id":75226,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.17","catch_line":"Privileged communications of certain committees and entities","url":"\/8.01-581.17\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.17","metadata":false},{"id":57108,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.18","catch_line":"Delivery of results of laboratory tests and other examinations not authorized by physician","url":"\/8.01-581.18\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.18","metadata":false},{"id":57097,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.18:1","catch_line":"Immunity of physicians for laboratory results and examinations","url":"\/8.01-581.18_1\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.18_1","metadata":false},{"id":71346,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.19","catch_line":"Civil immunity for physicians, psychologists, podiatrists, optometrists, veterinarians, nursing home administrators, and certified emergency medical services providers while members of certain committees","url":"\/8.01-581.19\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.19","metadata":false},{"id":59744,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.19:1","catch_line":"Civil immunity for persons providing information to certain committees","url":"\/8.01-581.19_1\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.19_1","metadata":false},{"id":75087,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.20","catch_line":"Standard of care in proceeding before medical malpractice review panel; expert testimony; determination of standard in action for damages","url":"\/8.01-581.20\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.20","metadata":false},{"id":57136,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.20:1","catch_line":"Admissibility of expressions of sympathy","url":"\/8.01-581.20_1\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.20_1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":71346,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.19","catch_line":"Civil immunity for physicians, psychologists, podiatrists, optometrists, veterinarians, nursing home administrators, and certified emergency medical services providers while members of certain committees","url":"\/8.01-581.19\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.19","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":75087,"structure_id":14388,"section_number":"8.01-581.20","catch_line":"Standard of care in proceeding before medical malpractice review panel; expert testimony; determination of standard in action for damages","url":"\/8.01-581.20\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.20","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/8.01-581.19:1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1986. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 604 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 1986 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 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 1987, chapter 713; in 1989, chapter 729; in 1993, chapter 702; in 1996, chapters 937<\/a> and 980<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":279013,"object_type":"law","relational_id":59744,"identifier":"8.01-581.19:1","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.19_1","url":"\/8.01-581.19_1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/8.01-581.19_1\/","token":"8.01\/21.1\/2\/8.01-581.19_1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Civil immunity for persons providing information to certain committees","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 8.01-581.19:1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any person<\/span> who provides information to any committee, board, group, commission, or other entity which is authorized to investigate any complaint of physical or mental impairment, that may show that any practitioner of medicine, osteopathy, optometry, chiropractic, podiatry, clinical psychology, physical therapy, veterinary medicine or any physical therapist assistant is unable to practice his profession with reasonable skill and safety, by reason of the use of alcohol, drugs, or other substances, or as a result of any mental or physical condition, shall be immune from civil liability for any act done for, or any utterance or communication made to, such entity in the course of providing such information. However, this section shall not apply if the act, utterance, or communication is done or made in bad faith or with malicious<\/span> intent<\/span> or if such disclosure is prohibited by federal law<\/span> or regulations promulgated thereunder.\n\t\tThe provisions of this section shall apply only to such entities described in this section as are (i) established pursuant to a federal or state law<\/span>, (ii) established and duly constituted by one or more public or licensed private hospitals<\/span>, (iii) a medical or chiropractic society that is operating its health care provider<\/span> impairment program in cooperation with the Board of Medicine, or another governmental agency, (iv) an optometric society or association that is operating its optometric impairment program in cooperation with the Virginia Board of Optometry, (v) a veterinary medical association that is operating its veterinarian impairment program in cooperation with the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine, or (vi) a clinical psychology academy that is operating its clinical psychology impairment program in cooperation with the Board of Psychology.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCIVIL IMMUNITY FOR PERSONS PROVIDING INFORMATION TO CERTAIN COMMITTEES (\u00a7\n8.01-581.19:1)\n\nAny person who provides information to any committee, board, group, commission,\nor other entity which is authorized to investigate any complaint of physical or\nmental impairment, that may show that any practitioner of medicine, osteopathy,\noptometry, chiropractic, podiatry, clinical psychology, physical therapy,\nveterinary medicine or any physical therapist assistant is unable to practice\nhis profession with reasonable skill and safety, by reason of the use of\nalcohol, drugs, or other substances, or as a result of any mental or physical\ncondition, shall be immune from civil liability for any act done for, or any\nutterance or communication made to, such entity in the course of providing such\ninformation. However, this section shall not apply if the act, utterance, or\ncommunication is done or made in bad faith or with malicious intent or if such\ndisclosure is prohibited by federal law or regulations promulgated thereunder.\n\t\tThe provisions of this section shall apply only to such entities described in\nthis section as are (i) established pursuant to a federal or state law, (ii)\nestablished and duly constituted by one or more public or licensed private\nhospitals, (iii) a medical or chiropractic society that is operating its health\ncare provider impairment program in cooperation with the Board of Medicine, or\nanother governmental agency, (iv) an optometric society or association that is\noperating its optometric impairment program in cooperation with the Virginia\nBoard of Optometry, (v) a veterinary medical association that is operating its\nveterinarian impairment program in cooperation with the Virginia Board of\nVeterinary Medicine, or (vi) a clinical psychology academy that is operating its\nclinical psychology impairment program in cooperation with the Board of\nPsychology.\n\nHISTORY: 1986, c. 604; 1987, c. 713; 1989, c. 729; 1993, c. 702; 1996, cc. 937,\n980.","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}}