---
title: O.C.G.A. § 31-32-11. Advance directive for health care’s relationship to criminal and insurance laws.
collection: code
id: 31-32-11
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 31-32-11 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-32-11
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-32-11.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-32-11/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=955
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 / ADVANCE DIRECTIVES FOR HEALTH CARE
---

# O.C.G.A. § 31-32-11. Advance directive for health care’s relationship to criminal and insurance laws.

(a) The making of an advance directive for health care containing a declarant’s directions regarding the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures or the withholding or withdrawal of the provision of nourishment or hydration, shall not, for any purpose, constitute a suicide. If the declarant’s death results from the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures or the withholding or withdrawal of the provision of nourishment or hydration in accordance with the terms of an advance directive for health care, the death shall not constitute a suicide or homicide for any purpose under any statute or other rule of law.

(b) The making of an advance directive for health care shall not restrict, inhibit, or impair in any manner the sale, procurement, issuance, or enforceability of any policy of life insurance, annuity, or other contract that is conditioned on the life or death of the declarant nor shall it be deemed to modify the terms of an existing policy of life insurance, annuity, or other contract that is conditioned on the life or death of the declarant, notwithstanding any term of the policy to the contrary. No policy of life insurance, annuity, or other contract that is conditioned on the life or death of the declarant shall be legally impaired or invalidated in any manner by the making of an advance directive for health care pursuant to this chapter or by the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures or the withholding or withdrawal of the provision of nourishment or hydration from an insured declarant, nor shall the making of such an advance directive for health care or the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures or the withholding or withdrawal of the provision of nourishment or hydration operate to deny any additional insurance benefits for accidental death of the declarant in any case in which the terminal condition of the declarant is the result of accident, notwithstanding any term of the policy to the contrary.

## History

Code 1981, § 31-32-11, enacted by Ga. L. 2007, p. 133, § 2/HB 24.