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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>78436</law_id><section_number>54.1-2988</section_number><catch_line>Immunity from liability; burden of proof; presumption</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>54.1-2982</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="8">Health Care Decisions Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>A <span class="dictionary">health care</span> facility, <span class="dictionary">physician</span> or other person acting under the direction of a <span class="dictionary">physician</span> shall not be subject to criminal <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> or civil liability or be deemed to have engaged in unprofessional conduct as a result of issuing a <span class="dictionary">Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order</span> or the providing, continuing, withholding or the withdrawal of <span class="dictionary">health care</span> under authorization or consent obtained in accordance with this article or as the result of the provision, withholding or withdrawal of ongoing <span class="dictionary">health care</span> in accordance with &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="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" href="/54.1-2990/">54.1-2990</a>. No person or facility providing, continuing, withholding or withdrawing <span class="dictionary">health care</span> or <span class="dictionary">physician</span> issuing a <span class="dictionary">Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order</span> under authorization or consent obtained pursuant to this article or otherwise in accordance with &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="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" href="/54.1-2990/">54.1-2990</a> shall incur liability arising out of a claim to the extent the claim is based on lack of authorization or consent for such action.
		Any <span class="dictionary">agent</span> or person identified in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Procedure in absence of an advance directive; procedure for advance directive without agent; no presumption; persons who may authorize health care for patients incapable of informed decisions" href="/54.1-2986/">54.1-2986</a> who authorizes or consents to the providing, continuing, withholding or withdrawal of <span class="dictionary">health care</span> in accordance with this article shall not be subject, solely on the basis of that authorization or consent, to (i) criminal <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> or civil liability for such action or (ii) liability for the cost of <span class="dictionary">health care</span>.
		No individual serving on a facility&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">patient care consulting committee</span> as defined in this article and no <span class="dictionary">physician</span> rendering a determination or affirmation in cases in which no <span class="dictionary">patient care consulting committee</span> exists shall be subject to criminal <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> or civil liability for any act or omission done or made in good faith in the performance of such functions.
		The provisions of this section shall apply unless it is shown by a <span class="dictionary">preponderance of the evidence</span> that the person authorizing or effectuating the providing, continuing, withholding or withdrawal of <span class="dictionary">health care</span>, or issuing, consenting to, making or following a <span class="dictionary">Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order</span> in accordance with &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Durable Do Not Resuscitate Orders" href="/54.1-2987.1/">54.1-2987.1</a> did not, in good faith, comply with the provisions of this article.
		An <span class="dictionary">advance directive</span> or <span class="dictionary">Durable Do Not Resuscitate Order</span> made, consented to or issued in accordance with this article shall be presumed to have been made, consented to, or issued voluntarily and in good faith by an adult who is capable of making an informed decision, <span class="dictionary">physician</span> or person authorized to consent on the patient&#x2019;s behalf.</p></section></text><history>1983, c. 532, &#xA7; 54-325.8:8; 1988, c. 765; 1992, cc. 412, 748, 772; 1998, cc. 803, 854; 1999, c. 814; 2000, cc. 590, 598; 2009, cc. 211, 268; 2010, c. 792; 2017, cc. 747, 752.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
