2025 Georgia Codes – Page 21

(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) “Assists” means the act of physically helping or physically providing the means.
(2) “Health care provider” means any person licensed, certified, or registered under Chapter 9, 10A, 11, 11A,
26, 28, 30, 33, 34, 35, 39, or 44 of Title 43.
(3) “Suicide” means the intentional and willful termination of one’s own life.
(b) Any person with actual knowledge that a person intends to commit suicide who knowingly and willfully
assists such person in the commission of such person’s suicide shall be guilty of a felony and, upon convic-
tion thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than ten years.
(c) The provisions of this Code section shall not apply to:
(1) Pursuant to a patient’s consent, any person prescribing, dispensing, or administering medications or
medical procedures when such actions are calculated or intended to relieve or prevent such patient’s pain or
discomfort but are not calculated or intended to cause such patient’s death, even if the medication or medi-
cal procedure may have the effect of hastening or increasing the risk of death;
(2) Pursuant to a patient’s consent, any person discontinuing, withholding, or withdrawing medications,
medical procedures, nourishment, or hydration;
(3) Any person prescribing, dispensing, or administering medications or medical procedures pursuant to,
without limitation, a living will, a durable power of attorney for health care, an advance directive for health
care, a psychiatric advance directive, a Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment form pursuant to
Code Section 31-1-14, or a consent pursuant to Code Section 29-4-18 or 31-9-2 when such actions are
calculated or intended to relieve or prevent a patient’s pain or discomfort but are not calculated or intended
to cause such patient’s death, even if the medication or medical procedure may have the effect of hastening
or increasing the risk of death;
(4) Any person discontinuing, withholding, or withdrawing medications, medical procedures, nourishment,
or hydration pursuant to, without limitation, a living will, a durable power of attorney for health care, an
advance directive for health care, a psychiatric advance directive, a Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining
Treatment form pursuant to Code Section 31-1-14, a consent pursuant to Code Section 29-4-18 or 31-9-2,
or a written order not to resuscitate; or
(5) Any person advocating on behalf of a patient in accordance with this subsection.
(d) Within ten days of a conviction, a health care provider who is convicted of violating this Code section
shall notify in writing the applicable licensing board for his or her licensure, certification, registration, or
other authorization to conduct such health care provider’s occupation. Upon being notified and notwith-
standing any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the appropriate licensing board shall revoke the license,
certification, registration, or other authorization to conduct such health care provider’s occupation.

Amended 2024
As used in this article, the term:
(1) “Correctional officer” means any person who is authorized to exercise the power of arrest and who is
employed or appointed by the Department of Corrections or the State Board of Pardons and Paroles.
(2) “Emergency health worker” means hospital emergency department personnel and emergency medical
services personnel.
(3) “Firefighter” shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 25-4-2.
(3.1) “Healthcare worker” means any employee or independent contractor of a hospital or other healthcare
facility licensed pursuant to Chapter 7 of Title 31.
(4) “Highway emergency response operator” means an individual employed by the Department of Transpor-
tation who operates a towing or recovery vehicle or highway maintenance vehicle.
(5) “Jail officer” means any person who is employed or appointed by a county or a municipality and who has
the responsibility of supervising inmates who are confined in a municipal or county detention facility.
(6) “Juvenile correctional officer” means any person employed or appointed by the Department of Juvenile
Justice who has the primary responsibility for the supervision and control of youth confined in its programs
and facilities.
(7) “Officer of the court” means a judge, attorney, clerk of court, deputy clerk of court, court reporter, or court
interpreter.
(8) “Probation officer” means a community supervision officer, county or Department of Juvenile Justice
juvenile probation officer, or probation officer serving pursuant to Article 6 of Chapter 8 of Title 42.
(9) “Public safety officer” means peace officer, correctional officer, emergency health worker, firefighter,
highway emergency response operator, jail officer, juvenile correctional officer, or probation officer.
(10) “Public transit vehicle” shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 16-5-20.
(11) “Strangulation” means impeding the normal breathing or circulation of blood of another person by
applying pressure to the throat or neck of such person or by obstructing the nose and mouth of such person.
(12) “Utility worker” means any employee of, including any person employed by or under contract with,
an organization, entity, or company, whether a state created authority or privately, municipally, county, or
cooperatively owned, that provides gas, heat, electricity, water, telecommunications services, sewer ser-
vices, cable or video services, internet services, or railroad services.