Skip to content

10 U.S.C. § 1044c

Title 10 Chapter 53 Current through PL 118-3 Last updated: March 29, 2026 View on OLRC →
Sections in this chapter

§ 1044c. Advance medical directives of members and dependents: requirement for recognition by States

  • (a) An advance medical directive executed by a person eligible for legal assistance—
    • (1) is exempt from any requirement of form, substance, formality, or recording that is provided for advance medical directives under the laws of a State; and
    • (2) shall be given the same legal effect as an advance medical directive prepared and executed in accordance with the laws of the State concerned.
  • (b) For purposes of this section, an advance medical directive is any written declaration that—
    • (1) sets forth directions regarding the provision, withdrawal, or withholding of life-prolonging procedures, including hydration and sustenance, for the declarant whenever the declarant has a terminal physical condition or is in a persistent vegetative state; or
    • (2) authorizes another person to make health care decisions for the declarant, under circumstances stated in the declaration, whenever the declarant is incapable of making informed health care decisions.
  • (c)
    • (1) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned, an advance medical directive prepared by an attorney authorized to provide legal assistance shall contain a statement that sets forth the provisions of subsection (a).
    • (2) Paragraph (1) shall not be construed to make inapplicable the provisions of subsection (a) to an advance medical directive that does not include a statement described in that paragraph.
  • (d) Subsection (a) does not make an advance medical directive enforceable in a State that does not otherwise recognize and enforce advance medical directives under the laws of the State.
  • (e) In this section:
    • (1) The term “State” includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and a possession of the United States.
    • (2) The term “person eligible for legal assistance” means a person who is eligible for legal assistance under section 1044 of this title .
    • (3) The term “legal assistance” means legal services authorized under section 1044 of this title .

Change History

No history yet for this section.