---
title: O.C.G.A. § 31-7-16. Determination or pronouncement of death of nursing home patients.
collection: code
id: 31-7-16
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 31-7-16 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-16
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-16.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-16/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=329
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.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7.md
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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 / REGULATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE FACILITIES / REGULATION OF HOSPITALS AND RELATED INSTITUTIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 31-7-16. Determination or pronouncement of death of nursing home patients.

When a patient dies in any facility classified as a nursing home by the department and operating under a permit issued by the department, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, or a registered professional nurse licensed in this state and employed by such nursing home at the time of apparent death of such person, in the absence of a physician, may make the determination and pronouncement of the death of said patient; provided, however, that when it appears that a patient died from other than natural causes, only a physician may make the determination or pronouncement of death. Such determination or pronouncement shall be made in writing on a form approved by the department.

## History

Code 1981, § 31-7-16, enacted by Ga. L. 1996, p. 1243, § 1; Ga. L. 2009, p. 859, § 3/HB 509; Ga. L. 2017, p. 625, § 1/SB 96.