SCS SB 741, 929 & 871 -- ORGAN DONATION

SPONSOR:  Wiggins (Graham)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Children,
Families and Health by a vote of 11 to 0.

The substitute makes various changes to the Anatomical Gift Act.
In its main provisions, the substitute:

(1)  Adds definitions for "donee," "hospital designee," and
"organ procurement organizations";

(2)  Allows minors aged 16 years or older to make an anatomical
donation with parental consent.  The consent must be noted on the
minor's donor card, application, driver's license, or other gift
document;

(3)  Requires hospitals to comply with requirements of organ
procurement organizations.  The substitute also allows organ
procurement organizations to engage procurement coordinators to
assist in the recovery of donated organs;

(4)  Allows the Organ Donor Program Fund to receive gifts,
grants, contributions, and other moneys.  The substitute also
adds the promotion of the organ donation registry, organ donation
programs, and minority or ethnic organ donation as allowable
expenditures;

(5)  Adds the following members to the Organ Donation Advisory
Committee:  two representatives from any federally certified
organ procurement organization; one representative of an eye
bank, one member of the hospital industry; the Director of the
Department of Health and Senior Services or a designee; and one
representative of the Department of Revenue.  Length of terms for
committee members are stated;

(6)  Requires the Department of Health and Senior Services to
provide Internet access to the organ donor registry for
authorized personnel.  The committee is required to submit a
report on Internet access and the exploration of methods to
increase the number of new registrants listed in the registry by
January 15, 2003;

(7)  Allows vehicle registration applicants to make a donation of
$1 to promote an organ donor program.  This subsection will
become effective July 1, 2003;

(8)  Requires the Director of the Department of Revenue to ask an
applicant for a driver's license if the applicant is interested
in being listed on the organ donor registry.  The director must
inform the applicant about the ability to consent to organ
donation on his or her driver's license; and

(9)  Requires the director to provide, by rule, the procedure and
format for an applicant to indicate an anatomical gift on the
back of a nondriver's license card.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Net Effect on Highway Funds of $0 in FY
2003, FY 2004, and FY 2005.  Estimated Net Effect on Organ Donor
Program Fund of a Cost of $37,634 in FY 2003, an Income of
Unknown in FY 2004 and FY 2005.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the purpose of the substitute is
to increase the public's awareness about organ donations and to
encourage more Missourians to become organ donors.

Testifying for the bill were Senator Wiggins; Midwest Transplant
Center; Missouri Hospital Association; and Department of Health
and Senior Services.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Joseph Deering, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated October 11, 2002 at 9:04 am