Section 8D Anatomical gifts; license renewal; donor cards; liability of registrar; availability of donor names to organ procurement organizations; driver training; education material
Section 8D. The registrar shall cause to be included in every notice of license renewal sent to a person licensed to operate a motor vehicle under this chapter a document containing a summary description and explanation of the anatomical gift act, as provided for in chapter one hundred and thirteen, and a donor card suitable for use by a person wishing to donate tissue or organs pursuant to the applicable provisions of said chapter one hundred and thirteen. Said donor card shall include the definition of qualified donee, as specified in section nine of said chapter one hundred and thirteen.
The registrar shall make available a suitable decal to be affixed to the license of a person who has signified his intention to make an anatomical gift under the provisions of said chapter one hundred and thirteen.
The registrar may, on behalf of the commonwealth, accept and use gifts of materials to carry out the provisions of this section, and may, on behalf of a charitable institution, accept gifts, contributions and bequests of funds from individuals, foundations and from federal or other governmental bodies for the purpose of furthering the provisions of chapter one hundred and thirteen and may transmit the same to such institution; may make and sign any agreements and may do and perform any and all acts which may be necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this section.
Neither the registrar or any employee of the commonwealth shall be liable in a suit for damage as a result of his acts or omissions or for any action under the provisions of this section.
For purposes of this section, the term “tissue or organs” shall also include skin.
The registrar shall provide to federally-designated organ procurement organizations serving the commonwealth access to names, dates of birth and other pertinent information of licensed drivers who have registered with the registry of motor vehicles as organ donors for the sole purpose of identifying those drivers as organ donors. Such access shall be provided, after referral of the potential donor by a hospital, critical access hospital or medical examiner to an organ procurement organization in accordance with federal regulations, in a manner and form to be determined by the registrar following consultation with federally-designated organ procurement organizations, which may include electronic transmission. The registrar shall, upon transmission of the information, notify the surviving spouse or next of kin at the donor’s address of the information transmitted. On any form used by the registry for organ donation, there shall be a disclaimer notice that informs the donor that certain information shall be provided to federally-designated organ procurement organizations upon the donor’s death.
The registrar shall include, in the required driver education and training course as provided for in section 8 and in section 13D of chapter 71, an information session on organ donation. The information session shall include educational materials to be provided by federally-designated organ procurement organizations serving the commonwealth.
The registrar shall make available in all registry branches educational materials as provided by federally-designated organ procurement organizations serving the commonwealth.