Tennessee § 4-3-2011 - Organ and tissue donor registry.

§ 4-3-2011. Organ and tissue donor registry.

The organ procurement organization, as defined in § 68-30-102, serving Tennessee may create and maintain an electronic registry of Tennesseans who have given consent to be organ and tissue donors. On a weekly basis, the department of safety shall transmit to the electronic registry the following information on those individuals who have given consent to be organ and tissue donors: True full name; Residence or mailing address; Date of birth; and Tennessee driver license number. The information obtained by the organ procurement organization for the purposes of subdivision (a)(1)(A) shall be used for these purposes only and shall not be disseminated further by the organ procurement organization. The department shall offer each applicant for issuance or renewal of a driver license the opportunity for the applicant to give consent to be an organ and tissue donor. Each applicant shall be offered the opportunity to give consent by responding affirmatively to the following statement: “Yes, I want to be an organ and tissue donor.” The department shall advise each applicant by making available the brochure referred to in subdivision (a)(4) or otherwise, that the applicant is under no compulsion to consent to be an organ and tissue donor. An individual who responds affirmatively to the consent statement gives full legal consent to donate the organs or tissue of the individual upon death. An individual may give or withdraw consent by any means provided by law, including, but not limited to, notifying the registry in writing or by electronic access to the registry. A brochure shall be made available to each applicant explaining the execution of a document of gift for organ and tissue donation, including the consent statement referred to in subdivision (a)(2). The brochure may be made available by electronic means. The brochure shall be provided to the department free of charge by the organ procurement organization. The department shall engage in public information and other activities to encourage all Tennesseans to become organ and tissue donors and to be so identified within the organ and tissue donor registry. Furthermore, in order to encourage and promote the highest level of organ and tissue donorship within the state, the commissioner shall periodically coordinate and convene strategy and planning meetings for representatives of the departments of commerce and insurance, education, and health, Tennessee organ and tissue donor service agencies, Tennessee hospitals, Tennessee physicians' organizations, as well as other organizations and entities that seek to promote and encourage organ and tissue donorship within the state. Acts 1990, ch. 775, § 1; 2006, ch. 767, § 1; 2007, ch. 428, § 4. Compiler's Notes. Acts 2006, ch. 767, § 2 provided that subdivision (a)(2) shall become effective at such time as the department of safety finds it necessary to reprint driver license application forms. Per the code commission, the contingency has been met and subdivision (a)(2) is in effect. Cross-References. Recipients of dead bodies, notification of communicable disease or AIDS, § 68-5-102 . Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, title 68, ch. 30.