Virginia USA
Human Research Law
Chapter 5.1

Contents

§ 32.1-162.16  Definitions
§ 32.1-162.17  Exemptions
§ 32.1-162.18  Informed consent
§ 32.1-162.19  Human research review committees
§ 32.1-162.20  Applicability of federal policies

§ 32.1-162.16

Definitions

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Human research" means any systematic investigation utilizing human subjects which may expose such human subjects to physical or psychological injury as a consequence of participation as subjects and which departs from the application of established and accepted therapeutic methods appropriate to meet the subjects' needs.

"Informed consent" means the knowing and voluntary agreement, without undue inducement or any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, or other form of constraint or coercion, of a person who is capable of exercising free power of choice. For the purposes of human research, the basic elements of information necessary to such consent shall include:

1. A reasonable and comprehensible explanation to the person of the proposed procedures or protocols to be followed, their purposes, including descriptions of any attendant discomforts, and risks and benefits reasonably to be expected;
    
2. A disclosure of any appropriate alternative procedures or therapies that might be advantageous for the person;
    
3. An instruction that the person may withdraw his consent and discontinue participation in the human research at any time without prejudice to him;
    
4. An explanation of any costs or compensation which may accrue to the person and, if applicable, the availability of third party reimbursement for the proposed procedures or protocols; and
    
5. An offer to answer and answers to any inquiries by the person concerning the procedures and protocols.

"Institution" or "agency" means any facility, program, or organization owned or operated by the Commonwealth, by any political subdivision, or by any person, firm, corporation, association, or other legal entity.

"Legally authorized representative" means

1. the parent or parents having custody of a prospective subject,
    
2. the legal guardian of a prospective subject, or
    
3. any person or judicial or other body authorized by law or regulation to consent on behalf of a prospective subject to such subject's participation in the particular human research.

For the purposes of this chapter, any person authorized by law or regulation to consent on behalf of a prospective subject to such subject's participation in the particular human research shall include an attorney in fact appointed under a durable power of attorney, to the extent the power grants the authority to make such a decision. The attorney in fact shall not be employed by the person, institution, or agency conducting the human research. No official or employee of the institution or agency conducting or authorizing the research shall be qualified to act as a legally authorized representative.

"Minimal risk" means that the risks of harm anticipated in the proposed research are not greater, considering probability and magnitude, than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.

"Nontherapeutic research" means human research in which there is no reasonable expectation of direct benefit to the physical or mental condition of the human subject.

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§ 32.1-162.17

Exemptions

The following categories of human research are exempt from the provisions of this chapter:

1. Activities of the Virginia Department of Health conducted pursuant to § 32.1-39;
    
2. Research or student learning outcomes assessments conducted in educational settings involving regular or special education instructional strategies, the effectiveness of or the comparison among instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods, or the use of educational tests, whether cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, or achievement, if the data from such tests are recorded in a manner so that subjects cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects;
      
3. Research involving survey or interview procedures unless responses are recorded in such a manner that the subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects, and either
      
   1. the subject's responses, if they became known outside the research, could reasonably place the subject at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subject's financial standing or employability or
       
   2. the research deals with sensitive aspects of the subject's own behavior, such as sexual behavior, drug or alcohol use, or illegal conduct;
         
4. Research involving survey or interview procedures, when the respondents are elected or appointed public officials or candidates for public office;
    
5. Research involving solely the observation of public behavior, including observation by participants, unless observations are recorded in such a manner that the subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects, and either
    
   1. the observations recorded about the individual, if they became known outside the research, could reasonably place the subject at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subject's financial standing or employability or
         
   2. the research deals with sensitive aspects of the subject's own behavior, such as sexual behavior, drug or alcohol use, or illegal conduct; and
         
6. Research involving the collection or study of existing data, documents, records, pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens, if these sources are publicly available or if the information is recorded by the investigator in a manner so that subjects cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects.

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§ 32.1-162.18

Informed consent

1. In order to conduct human research in this Commonwealth, informed consent must be obtained if the person who is to be the human subject is as follows:
    
   1. competent, then it shall be subscribed to in writing by the person and witnessed;
       
   2. not competent at the time consent is required, then it shall be subscribed to in writing by the person's legally authorized representative and witnessed; or
       
   3. a minor otherwise capable of rendering informed consent, then it shall be subscribed to in writing by both the minor and his legally authorized representative. 

   The giving of consent by a legally authorized representative shall be subject to the provisions of subsection B of this section. No informed consent form shall include any language through which the person who is to be the human subject waives or appears to waive any of his legal rights, including any release of any individual, institution, or agency or any agents thereof from liability for negligence.
    
   Notwithstanding consent by a legally authorized representative, no person who is otherwise capable of rendering informed consent shall be forced to participate in any human research. In the case of persons suffering from organic brain diseases causing progressive deterioration of cognition for which there is no known cure or medically accepted treatment, the implementation of experimental courses of therapeutic treatment to which a legally authorized representative has given informed consent shall not constitute the use of force.
    

2. A legally authorized representative may not consent to nontherapeutic research unless it is determined by the human research committee that such nontherapeutic research will present no more than a minor increase over minimal risk to the human subject.
    
3. The human research review committee may approve a consent procedure which omits or alters some or all of the basic elements of informed consent, or waives the requirement to obtain informed consent, if the committee finds and documents that
    
   1. the research involves no more than minimal risk to the subjects;
         
   2. the omission, alteration or waiver will not adversely affect the rights and welfare of the subjects;
       
   3. the research could not practicably be performed without the omission, alteration or waiver; and
       
   4. after participation, the subjects are to be provided with additional pertinent information, whenever appropriate.
       
4. The human research review committee may waive the requirement that the investigator obtain written informed consent for some or all subjects, if the committee finds that the only record linking the subject and the research would be the consent document and the principal risk would be potential harm resulting from a breach of confidentiality. The committee may require the investigator to provide the subjects with a written statement explaining the research. Further, each subject shall be asked whether he wants documentation linking him to the research and the subject's wishes shall govern.

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§ 32.1-162.19

Human research review committees

1. Each institution or agency which conducts or which proposes to conduct or authorize human research shall establish a human research review committee. The committee shall be composed of representatives of varied backgrounds to ensure the competent, complete, and professional review of human research activities conducted or proposed to be conducted or authorized by the institution or agency. No member of the committee shall be directly involved in the proposed human research or have administrative approval authority over the proposed human research except in connection with his responsibilities as a member of the committee.
    
2. No human research shall be conducted or authorized by such institution or agency unless the committee has reviewed and approved the proposed human research project giving consideration to
    
   1. the adequacy of the description of the potential benefits and risks involved and the adequacy of the methodology of the research;
       
   2. if the research is nontherapeutic, whether it presents more than a minimal risk to the human subjects;
       
   3. whether the rights and welfare of the human subjects involved are adequately protected;
       
   4. whether the risks to the human subjects are outweighed by the potential benefits to them;
       
   5. whether the informed consent is to be obtained by methods that are adequate and appropriate and whether the written consent form is adequate and appropriate in both content and language for the particular research;
       
   6. whether the persons proposing to conduct the particular human research are appropriately competent and qualified; and
       
   7. whether the criteria for selection of subjects are equitable. The committee shall require periodic reports from each existing human research project to ensure that the project is being carried out in conformity with the proposal as approved.
       
3. The regulations of an institution or agency may authorize the committee to conduct an expedited review of a human research project which involves no more than minimal risk to the subjects if
    
   1. another institution's or agency's human research review committee has reviewed and approved the project or
        
   2. the review involves only minor changes in previously approved research and the changes occur during the approved project period.
       
4. Every person engaged in the conduct of human research or proposing to conduct human research shall affiliate himself with an institution or agency having a research review committee, and the human research which he conducts or proposes to conduct shall be subject to review and approval by such committee in the manner set forth in this section.

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§ 32.1-162.20

Applicability of federal policies

Human research which is subject to policies and regulations for the protection of human subjects promulgated by any agency of the federal government shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter.

In lieu of promulgating regulations pursuant to the requirements of this chapter, an institution or agency may comply with this chapter by promulgating regulations under the provisions of the Administrative Process Act (§9-6.14:1 et seq.) governing human research projects which incorporate, explicitly or by reference, federal policies and regulations for the protection of human subjects. However, in the case of projects which are not required, by reason of their nature, the source of their funding, or the lack thereof, to comply with federal policies and regulations, the institution or agency may enforce compliance by filing a petition for an injunction in the appropriate circuit court. This section shall not preclude any other enforcement action available to the institution or agency.

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