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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>359600</law_id><section_number>32.1-38</section_number><catch_line>Immunity from liability</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="75" identifier="32.1">Health</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="2" identifier="2">Disease Prevention and Control</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Reporting of Diseases</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Any <span class="dictionary">person</span> making a report or disclosure required or authorized by this chapter, including any voluntary reports submitted at the request of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Health for special surveillance or other epidemiological studies, shall be immune from civil liability or criminal <span class="dictionary">penalty</span> connected therewith unless such <span class="dictionary">person</span> acted with gross <span class="dictionary">negligence</span> or <span class="dictionary">malicious</span> <span class="dictionary">intent</span>. Further, except for such reporting requirements as may be established in this chapter or by any regulation promulgated pursuant thereto, there shall be no duty on the part of any blood collection agency or tissue bank to notify any other <span class="dictionary">person</span> of any reported test results, and a <span class="dictionary">cause of action</span> shall not arise from any failure by such entities to notify others. Neither the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> nor any local health director shall disclose to the public the name of any <span class="dictionary">person</span> reported or the name of any <span class="dictionary">person</span> making a report pursuant to this chapter. No <span class="dictionary">person</span> making a report required or authorized by this chapter shall be responsible for recognizing agents or suspecting the presence of any conditions beyond the competence of a reasonable <span class="dictionary">person</span> practicing his profession; however, any such <span class="dictionary">person</span> shall be immune as provided in this section when making reports in good faith without gross <span class="dictionary">negligence</span> and within the usual scope of his practice.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 32-48; 1976, c. 628; 1979, c. 711; 1988, c. 130; 1990, c. 777; 1997, c. 271; 2002, c. 768.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
