SB2022

Report Title:

Organ Donation; Procurement Organization

Description:

Requires procurement organization to provide various services to support groups involved in organ donation and receipt.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2022
TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO ORGAN DONATION.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Findings and purpose. The legislature finds that medical technology has advanced to the point where lives can be extended beyond what we had envisioned, even as recently as twenty years ago. Now, people with bad hearts can get new ones, or have mechanical hearts implanted if a human donor cannot be found in time. Now, individuals who suffer massive trauma from car accidents can donate their healthy organs to persons suffering from liver disease, kidney failure, lung injuries, and corneas for eyes. Tissues, bone, and other anatomical parts can be used by the living who have injuries that require repair. Organ transplantation is a routine medical procedure and is available in Hawaii. However, as we progress medically, the realization has dawned that the whole person, the whole family, and close friends need psychological and humanitarian support to understand the entire transplant process. It is obvious that the mechanical and procedural aspects are being handled exceptionally well by the medical community.

The legislature finds and declares that donor families and recipients need support to grieve, understand, and appreciate the entire organ donation and transplant recipient process. This involves thanking the donors, appreciating the life-long need for anti-rejection protocols by the recipient patient, asking for help from family and friends for respite or other types of assistance.

The purpose of this Act is to establish a mechanism for support groups in the anatomical gifts process to receive help, financial or otherwise, to collectively help each other and require the organ procurement organization to assist in this effort.

SECTION 2. Section 327-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

""Support group" means a recipient or donor support group organized to bring together those survivors and donors, including family and friends, affected by anatomical gifts."

SECTION 3. Chapter 327, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§327-   Procurement organization, duties. (a) The procurement organization shall provide any assistance to further the mission of a support group for donor families and recipients and improve their quality of life. Support groups either separately or collectively, for any anatomical part handled by the procurement organization, shall be granted by the procurement organization direct financial aid, grants, office supplies, secretarial assistance, computer access for email, internet access, office space, educational information, outreach service, and the like, to enable the support group to help donor families and recipients, families and close friends, accept and understand the organ donation concept.

(b) The procurement organization shall submit an annual report to the legislature twenty days before the beginning of each legislative session describing all of the services being provided to support groups and any other observations regarding costs and benefits of these services."

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________