Title 38, Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-102
§7331 Informed Consent
Title 38 › PART V — BOARDS, ADMINISTRATIONS, AND SERVICES › CHAPTER 73 — VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION—ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS › SUBCHAPTER III — PROTECTION OF PATIENT RIGHTS › § 7331
Summary
The Secretary must require complete, informed consent for all medical and prosthetic research and, when practicable, patient care under this title, under section 7334 and on the Under Secretary's recommendation.
Full Legal Text
Title 38, §7331
Veterans' Benefits, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
The Secretary, upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health and pursuant to the provisions of section 7334 of this title, shall prescribe regulations establishing procedures to ensure that all medical and prosthetic research carried out and, to the maximum extent practicable, all patient care furnished under this title shall be carried out only with the full and informed consent of the patient or subject or, in appropriate cases, a representative thereof.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1992—Pub. L. 102–405 substituted “Under Secretary for Health” for “Chief Medical Director”. 1991—Pub. L. 102–40, § 401(a)(4)(A), renumbered section 4131 of this title as this section. Pub. L. 102–40, § 403(a)(1), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator”. Pub. L. 102–40, § 402(d)(1), substituted “7334” for “4134”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Subchapter effective Oct. 21, 1976, see section 211 of Pub. L. 94–581, set out as an
Effective Date
of 1976 Amendment note under section 111 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
38 U.S.C. § 7331
Title 38, Veterans' Benefits
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102