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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>65325</law_id><section_number>54.1-2966</section_number><catch_line>Physicians reporting disabilities to aircraft pilots licensing authorities exempt from liability; testifying in certain proceedings</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>32.1-127.1:03</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="54.1">Professions and Occupations</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="29">Medicine and Other Healing Arts</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="6">General Standards of Practice</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any physician who, in good faith, reports the existence, or probable existence, of a mental or physical disability or infirmity in any person licensed or certificated to operate any type of aircraft, or any applicant for a license or certificate to operate any type of aircraft, to a governmental agency which is responsible for issuing, renewing, revoking or suspending such licenses or certificates, or which is responsible for air safety, which the physician believes will or reasonably could affect such person&#x2019;s ability to safely operate the aircraft he is licensed or certificated, or is seeking to be licensed or certificated, to operate shall not be liable for any civil <span class="dictionary">damages</span> resulting from such reporting, regardless of whether such person is, or has been, a patient of such physician, except when such reporting was done with <span class="dictionary">malice</span>. <a id="paragraph-237553" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/54.1-2966/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Notwithstanding any provision of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Communications between physicians and patients (Supreme Court Rule 2:505 derived from this section)" href="/8.01-399/">8.01-399</a>, any physician may testify in any administrative <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> or other proceeding regarding the issuance, renewal, <span class="dictionary">revocation</span> or suspension of any license or certificate to pilot an aircraft of any person, regardless of whether such person is, or has been, a patient of such physician, giving <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of the existence or probable existence, of a mental or physical disability or infirmity. <a id="paragraph-237554" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/54.1-2966/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1978, c. 561, &#xA7; 54-276.9:1; 1988, c. 765.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
