{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/54.1-2515.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/54.1-2515.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/54.1-2515.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/54.1-2515.html"}],"law_id":368221,"edition_id":2,"section_id":368221,"structure_id":52483,"section_number":"54.1-2515","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1997, c. 439; 2009, c. 472; 2016, c. 105.","full_text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\n&#8220;Committee&#8221; means the Health Practitioners&#8217; Monitoring Program Committee as described in \u00a7 54.1-2517.\n\n&#8220;Contract&#8221; means a written agreement between a practitioner and the Committee providing the terms and conditions of program participation or a written agreement entered into by the Director for the implementation of monitoring services.\n\n&#8220;Disciplinary action&#8221; means any proceeding that may lead to a monetary penalty or probation or to a reprimand, restriction, revocation, suspension, denial, or other order relating to the license, certificate, registration, or multistate privilege of a health care practitioner issued by a health regulatory board.\n\n&#8220;Impairment&#8221; means a physical or mental disability, including but not limited to substance abuse, that substantially alters the ability of a practitioner to practice his profession with safety to his patients and the public.\n\n&#8220;Practitioner&#8221; means any individual regulated by any health regulatory board listed in \u00a7 54.1-2503.\n\n&#8220;Program&#8221; means the Health Practitioners&#8217; Monitoring Program established pursuant to \u00a7 54.1-2516.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1370780,"text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1370781,"text":"&#8220;Committee&#8221; means the Health Practitioners&#8217; Monitoring Program Committee as described in \u00a7 54.1-2517.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"2":{"id":1370782,"text":"&#8220;Contract&#8221; means a written agreement between a practitioner and the Committee providing the terms and conditions of program participation or a written agreement entered into by the Director for the implementation of monitoring services.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"3":{"id":1370783,"text":"&#8220;Disciplinary action&#8221; means any proceeding that may lead to a monetary penalty or probation or to a reprimand, restriction, revocation, suspension, denial, or other order relating to the license, certificate, registration, or multistate privilege of a health care practitioner issued by a health regulatory board.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"4":{"id":1370784,"text":"&#8220;Impairment&#8221; means a physical or mental disability, including but not limited to substance abuse, that substantially alters the ability of a practitioner to practice his profession with safety to his patients and the public.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"5":{"id":1370785,"text":"&#8220;Practitioner&#8221; means any individual regulated by any health regulatory board listed in \u00a7 54.1-2503.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"6":{"id":1370786,"text":"&#8220;Program&#8221; means the Health Practitioners&#8217; Monitoring Program established pursuant to \u00a7 54.1-2516.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":52483,"edition_id":2,"name":"Health Practitioners' Monitoring Program","identifier":"25.1","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":4,"parent_id":52479,"metadata":{"child_laws":4,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:59:30","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:01","permalink":{"id":1468355,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52483,"identifier":"25.1","token":"54.1\/III\/25.1","url":"\/54.1\/III\/25.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52479,"edition_id":2,"name":"Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":3,"parent_id":52436,"metadata":{"child_laws":738,"child_structures":83},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:59:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:00","permalink":{"id":1468107,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52479,"identifier":"III","token":"54.1\/III","url":"\/54.1\/III\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52436,"edition_id":2,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":118,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":1282,"child_structures":163},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:58:52","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:51","permalink":{"id":1466315,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52436,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":368221,"structure_id":52483,"section_number":"54.1-2515","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/54.1-2515\/","token":"54.1\/III\/25.1\/54.1-2515","metadata":false},{"id":368222,"structure_id":52483,"section_number":"54.1-2516","catch_line":"Program established; practitioner participation; disciplinary action stayed under certain conditions","url":"\/54.1-2516\/","token":"54.1\/III\/25.1\/54.1-2516","metadata":false},{"id":368223,"structure_id":52483,"section_number":"54.1-2517","catch_line":"Health Practitioners' Monitoring Program Committee; certain meetings, decisions to be excepted from the Freedom of Information Act; confidentiality of records; immunity from liability","url":"\/54.1-2517\/","token":"54.1\/III\/25.1\/54.1-2517","metadata":false},{"id":368224,"structure_id":52483,"section_number":"54.1-2518","catch_line":"Investigation by Department or other authorized official; prosecution for violations of law","url":"\/54.1-2518\/","token":"54.1\/III\/25.1\/54.1-2518","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":368222,"structure_id":52483,"section_number":"54.1-2516","catch_line":"Program established; practitioner participation; disciplinary action stayed under certain conditions","url":"\/54.1-2516\/","token":"54.1\/III\/25.1\/54.1-2516","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-2515\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1997. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?971+ful+CHAP0439\">439<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2009, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?091+ful+CHAP0472\">472<\/a>; in 2016, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?161+ful+CHAP0105\">105<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":352987,"section_number":"2.2-3711","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Closed meetings authorized for certain limited purposes","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-3711\/"},{"id":353024,"section_number":"2.2-4002","catch_line":"Exemptions from chapter generally","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-4002\/"},{"id":368175,"section_number":"54.1-2400","catch_line":"General powers and duties of health regulatory boards","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2400\/"},{"id":368215,"section_number":"54.1-2505","catch_line":"Powers and duties of Director of Department","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2505\/"},{"id":368233,"section_number":"54.1-2523","catch_line":"Confidentiality of data; disclosure of information; discretionary authority of Director","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2523\/"},{"id":377619,"section_number":"8.01-581.13","catch_line":"Civil immunity for certain health professionals and health profession students serving as members of certain entities","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-581.13\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":368213,"section_number":"54.1-2503","catch_line":"Boards within Department","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2503\/"},{"id":368222,"section_number":"54.1-2516","catch_line":"Program established; practitioner participation; disciplinary action stayed under certain conditions","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2516\/"},{"id":368223,"section_number":"54.1-2517","catch_line":"Health Practitioners' Monitoring Program Committee; certain meetings, decisions to be excepted from the Freedom of Information Act; confidentiality of records; immunity from liability","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2517\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1468357,"object_type":"law","relational_id":368221,"identifier":"54.1-2515","token":"54.1\/III\/25.1\/54.1-2515","url":"\/54.1-2515\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-2515\/","token":"54.1\/III\/25.1\/54.1-2515","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-2515","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:<\/p><p>&#8220;<span class=\"dictionary\">Committee<\/span>&#8221; means the Health <span class=\"dictionary\">Practitioners<\/span>&#8217; Monitoring <span class=\"dictionary\">Program<\/span> <span class=\"dictionary\">Committee<\/span> as described in \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Health Practitioners&#039; Monitoring Program Committee; certain meetings, decisions to be excepted from the Freedom of Information Act; confidentiality of records; immunity from liability\" href=\"\/54.1-2517\/\">54.1-2517<\/a>.<\/p><p>&#8220;<span class=\"dictionary\">Contract<\/span>&#8221; means a written agreement between a <span class=\"dictionary\">practitioner<\/span> and the <span class=\"dictionary\">Committee<\/span> providing the terms and conditions of <span class=\"dictionary\">program<\/span> participation or a written agreement entered into by the Director for the implementation of monitoring services.<\/p><p>&#8220;<span class=\"dictionary\">Disciplinary action<\/span>&#8221; means any proceeding that may lead to a monetary <span class=\"dictionary\">penalty<\/span> or <span class=\"dictionary\">probation<\/span> or to a reprimand, restriction, <span class=\"dictionary\">revocation<\/span>, suspension, denial, or other <span class=\"dictionary\">order<\/span> relating to the license, certificate, registration, or multistate <span class=\"dictionary\">privilege<\/span> of a health care <span class=\"dictionary\">practitioner<\/span> issued by a health regulatory board.<\/p><p>&#8220;<span class=\"dictionary\">Impairment<\/span>&#8221; means a physical or mental disability, including but not limited to substance abuse, that substantially alters the ability of a <span class=\"dictionary\">practitioner<\/span> to practice his profession with safety to his patients and the public.<\/p><p>&#8220;<span class=\"dictionary\">Practitioner<\/span>&#8221; means any individual regulated by any health regulatory board listed in \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Boards within Department\" href=\"\/54.1-2503\/\">54.1-2503<\/a>.<\/p><p>&#8220;<span class=\"dictionary\">Program<\/span>&#8221; means the Health <span class=\"dictionary\">Practitioners<\/span>&#8217; Monitoring <span class=\"dictionary\">Program<\/span> established pursuant to \u00a7&nbsp;<a class=\"law\" title=\"Program established; practitioner participation; disciplinary action stayed under certain conditions\" href=\"\/54.1-2516\/\">54.1-2516<\/a>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 54.1-2515)\n\nAs used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\n&#8220;Committee&#8221; means the Health Practitioners&#8217; Monitoring Program\nCommittee as described in \u00a7 54.1-2517.\n\n&#8220;Contract&#8221; means a written agreement between a practitioner and the\nCommittee providing the terms and conditions of program participation or a\nwritten agreement entered into by the Director for the implementation of\nmonitoring services.\n\n&#8220;Disciplinary action&#8221; means any proceeding that may lead to a\nmonetary penalty or probation or to a reprimand, restriction, revocation,\nsuspension, denial, or other order relating to the license, certificate,\nregistration, or multistate privilege of a health care practitioner issued by a\nhealth regulatory board.\n\n&#8220;Impairment&#8221; means a physical or mental disability, including but\nnot limited to substance abuse, that substantially alters the ability of a\npractitioner to practice his profession with safety to his patients and the\npublic.\n\n&#8220;Practitioner&#8221; means any individual regulated by any health\nregulatory board listed in \u00a7 54.1-2503.\n\n&#8220;Program&#8221; means the Health Practitioners&#8217; Monitoring Program\nestablished pursuant to \u00a7 54.1-2516.\n\nHISTORY: 1997, c. 439; 2009, c. 472; 2016, c. 105.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}