---
title: O.C.G.A. § 31-22-1. Definitions.
collection: code
id: 31-22-1
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 31-22-1 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-22-1
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-22-1.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-22-1/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t31-(v23)-2025-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=da7ded69_0#page=886
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Session of the General Assembly of Georgia
heading_path: HEALTH / CLINICAL LABORATORIES
extraction_warnings:
  - dehyphenation_unverified:micro-biological
  - dehyphenation_unverified:hematologi-cal
---

# O.C.G.A. § 31-22-1. Definitions.

As used in this chapter, the term:

(1) “Certified” means certified by or operating under a certificate of waiver from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pursuant to the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988.

(2) “Clinical laboratory” means a facility for the biological, microbiological, serological, chemical, immunohematological, hematological, biophysical, cytological, pathological, or other examination of materials derived from the human body for the diagnosis of, recommendation of treatment of, or for the purposes of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of any disease or impairment of, or the assessment of the health of human beings.

## History

Ga. L. 1970, p. 531, § 2; Ga. L. 1971, p. 247, § 1; Ga. L. 1982, p. 1081, §§ 1, 2, 6, 7; Ga. L. 1991, p. 94, § 31; Ga. L. 1991, p. 349, § 1; Ga. L. 2005, p. 1190, § 1/SB 51; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, § 1-5/HB 228; Ga. L. 2011, p. 705, § 4-16/HB 214; Ga. L. 2016, p. 318, § 1/SB 273; Ga. L. 2017, p. 547, § 1/HB 210; Ga. L. 2021, p. 472, § 1/HB 93.

## Law Reviews

For article on the 2011 amendment of this Code section, see 28 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 147 (2011).