<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>61815</law_id><section_number>54.1-2983.1</section_number><catch_line>Participation in health care research</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><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="8">Health Care Decisions Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>An <span class="dictionary">advance directive</span> may authorize an <span class="dictionary">agent</span> to approve participation by the <span class="dictionary">declarant</span> in any <span class="dictionary">health care</span> study approved by an institutional review <span class="dictionary">board</span> pursuant to applicable federal regulations, or by a research review committee pursuant to Chapter 5.1 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/32.1-162.16/">32.1-162.16</a> et seq.) of Title 32.1 that offers the prospect of direct therapeutic benefit to the <span class="dictionary">declarant</span>. An <span class="dictionary">advance directive</span> may also authorize an <span class="dictionary">agent</span> to approve participation by the <span class="dictionary">declarant</span> in any <span class="dictionary">health care</span> study approved by an institutional review <span class="dictionary">board</span> pursuant to applicable federal regulations, or by a research review committee pursuant to Chapter 5.1 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/32.1-162.16/">32.1-162.16</a> et seq.) of Title 32.1 that aims to increase scientific understanding of any condition that the <span class="dictionary">declarant</span> may have or otherwise to promote human well-being, even though it offers no prospect of direct benefit to the patient.</p></section></text><history>2009, cc. 211, 268.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
