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Digitized by the Internet Archive 2013 in http://archive.org/details/govlawgacode201223 OFFICIAL CODE OF GEORGIA ANNOTATED With Provision for Subsequent Pocket Parts Prepared by The Code Revision Commission The Office ofLegislative Counsel and The Editorial StaffofLexisNexis® Published UnderAuthority ofthe State ofGeorgia Volume 23 2012 Edition Title 31. Health Title 32. Highways, Bridges, and Ferries IncludingActs ofthe 2012 Session ofthe GeneralAssembly ofGeorgia andAnnotations taken from the Georgia Reports and the GeorgiaAppeals Reports LexisNexis® Charlottesville, Virginia 2012 Copyright © 2001, 2006, 2009, 2012 BY State of Georgia All rights reserved. ISBN 978-0-7698-4589-0 4190415 (Pub.41805) OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE Brian P. Kemp, Secretary of State of the I, State of Georgia, do hereby certify that the statutory portion ofthe Official Code ofGeorgia Annotated contained in this volume is a true and correct copy ofsuch material as enacted by the General Assembly ofGeorgia; all as same appear offile and record in this office. INTESTIMONYWHEREOF,Ihavehereuntosetmyhandandaffixed thesealofmyoffice,attheCapitol,intheCityofAtlanta, this26thdayofJune,intheyearofourLordTwoThousand and Twelve and ofthe Independence ofthe United StatesofAmericatheTwoHundredandThirty-Sixth. BrianP. Kemp,SecretaryofState Preface This volume cumulates and replaces the 2009 edition ofVolume 23 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, as supplemented by the 2011 Cumulative Supplement. The 2009 edition ofVolume 23 and its 2011 Cumulative Supplement may thus be discarded or, ifso desired, may be retained for historical purposes. This volume contains all laws specifically codified in Titles 31 and 32 by the General Assembly through the 2012 Session. This volume also contains case annotations reflecting decisions posted to LexisNexis® through March 30, 2012. These annotations will appear in the following traditional reporter sources: Georgia Supreme Court Opinions; Georgia Appeals Court Opinions; Southeastern Reporter, Second Series; Supreme Court Reporter; Federal Reporter, Third Series; Federal Supplement, Second Series; Federal Rules Decisions; and Bankruptcy Reporter. As official and traditional citations become available, substi- tutions for the LexisNexis® citations will be made. Additionally, LexisNexis® has prepared annotations and references toAttorney General Opinions, law reviews, and other research sources that we hope will be beneficial as you utilize this product. A listing of those sources is as follows: Official and Unofficial Attorney General Opinions; Opinions ofthe Judicial Qualifications Commission;Advisory Opinions of the State Disciplinary Board of the State Bar; Formal Advisory Opinions of the State Disciplinary Board of the State Bar, issued by the Supreme Court ofGeorgia; Emory Law Journal; Georgia Law Review; Georgia State University Law Review; Mercer Law Review; Georgia State Bar Journal; American Law Reports; American Jurisprudence 2d; American Jurisprudence Pleading and Practice Forms; American Jurisprudence Proof of Facts; American Jurispru- dence Trials; Corpus Juris Secundum; and Uniform Laws Annotated. Also included, where appropriate, are cross references to the Official Code ofGeorgia Annotated. This volume retains amendment notes and effective date notes for Acts passed during the 2010, 2011, and 2012 Sessions of the General Assembly. In order to determine the changes which were made or the effective date applied to a Code section by an Act passed prior to the 2010 Session of the General Assembly, the user should consult the Georgia Laws. Visit our website at http://www.lexisnexis.com for an online book- store, technical support, customer service, and other company informa- tion. If you have questions or suggestions concerning the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, please call toll free 1-800-833-9844, fax at 1-518-487-3584, or email us at [email protected]. Direct written inquiries to: LexisNexis® Attn: Official Code of Georgia Annotated 701 East Water Street Charlottesville, Virginia 22902-5389 VI