An Act Guaranteeing Freedom of Choice Regarding the Disposition of One's Own Organs
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0107
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: FAIRCLOTH, PERRY
Amends: 22 MRSA §2904, 22 MRSA §2911, 29-A MRSA §1402-A

Legislative Document 
No. 107 
H.P.83 
House of Representatives, January 11,2005 
An Act Guaranteeing Freedom of Choice Regarding the Disposition 
of One's Own Organs 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative FAIRCLOTH of Bangor. 
Cosponsored by Representative: PERRY of Calais. 
Printed on recycJed paper 
1r/~1J7.~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §2904. sub-§2. as amended by PL 1981, c. 639, 
§1, is further amended to read: 
2. 
Other docUJRents. 
A gift of any part of the body under 
section 2902, subsection IT may be made by document other than a 
will. 
The gift becomes effective upon the death of the donor and 
upon acceptance by the donee. 
The documentT-WR4€R-~~-a-eaFe 
aesi~Rea-~e-~~~~~~~~~~~~&r~~&~-ee may be a donor card 
signed by the donor, 
iR-~Re-p£e£€£€€-~-~~it~esses~-ffi~&~-si~B 
I:Re-~&&--+n--R4£--pFeseRee an electronic donor registry in 
which the donor is included or a driver's license on which a 
designation is made by organ donor decal, code or notation as 
provided in Title 29-A, 
section 1402-A. 
If the donor cannot 
sign, the document may be signed for Rim the donor at Ris the 
donor's direction and in Ris the donor' s 
presenceT---and--4-n--~Re 
pFoseRee--e~--6---w-it-nes ses -Wbo-- -fTl-U£-t:- - -s-i-{fi1- - -t-be-- - 40€~ffiO~~- -.i B- -Hi s 
pFoseRee. 
Delivery of the document of gift during the donor' ~ 
lifetime is not necessary to make the gift valid. 
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §2911. as enacted by PL 2003, c. 394, §l awl 
affected by §6, is amended to read: 
§2911. Bonor intent of organ donors 
1. General rule. 
The 
intention of 
a 
person to 
make 
a 
donation of that person's own body organ or tissue after death 
must 
be 
honored. 
In 
the 
absence 
of 
a 
wFi~~eB--6~a~efReB~ 
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revocation or amendment of the donor's execution of the intent to 
donate under section 2906, Title 18-A, Article 5, Part 8 or Title 
29-A, 
section 1402-A, 
health care providers licensed in this 
State and federally designated organ procurement organizations 
shall act in accordance with the donor's intention and may take 
appropriate actions to effect the gift. 
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Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §1402-A. sub-§4, ~E. as enacted by PL 2003, 
c. 394, §4 and affected by §6, is amended to read: 
E. 
Notwithstanding Title 22, section 1711-C and any other 
provision of law to the contrary, 
a health care provider 
licensed in this State to provide primary health care shall 
provide 
information 
to 
a 
federally 
designated 
organ 
procurement 
organization 
regarding 
a 
patient 
who 
has 
indicated a willingness to become an organ donor under this 
section, Title 18-A, Article 5, Part 8 or Title 22, chapter 
if 
such 
information is 
provided 
in accordance 
with 
professional standards applicable to organ donation aRG-if 
eeRe~-~~~-~-Re~-~~~~~-~~~s~aRt-~~-~~~-66T 
seetieR-69**T-s~eseetieR-6. 
SUMMARY 
This bill removes the provision of law that allows the next 
of 
kin to 
a 
person 
who 
has expressed intent to donate that 
person's own body organ or tissue after death to override the 
intention of that person. 
It also remo-ves the provision of lavJ 
that requires that a donor card be signed in the presence of 2 
witnesses who must sign the donor card in the presence of the 
donor _ 
The bill also clarifies that a person may donate that 
person's own body organ or tissue after death by way of a will, 
~ 
donor card, an electronic donor registry or a driver's license on 
which 
a 
designation 
is 
made 
by 
organ 
donor 
decal, 
code 
or 
notation.