S-3265.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6838

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

By Senators McDonald, Finkbeiner, Oke and Winsley

Read first time 02/08/2000.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.

Creating the organ donor data base program.

    AN ACT Relating to organ donations; adding a new section to chapter 68.50 RCW; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 68.50 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

    (a) "Department" means the department of social and health services.

    (b) "Medical entity" means a hospital, organ bank, organ donation organization, coroner, medical examiner, or other entity specified by the department by rule.

    (2) The organ donor data base program is created in the department.  The purpose of the program is to create and maintain a secure data base that lists volunteer organ donors in the state.  The goal of the program is to increase the availability of donated organs, and to make the process of donating and receiving organs more timely and efficient.

    (3) The department must create an on-line data base containing information about all eligible individuals who have volunteered as organ donors in the state.  The data base must be in a format that will allow the department to enter and update information easily and cost effectively, and allow authorized medical entities to access the data base twenty-four hours a day.  The data base must be private, and accessible only to those medical entities authorized by the department by rule.

    (4) Information for the data base may come from existing public and private organ donor lists or data bases.  Information may also come from a volunteer organ donor form created by the department.  The department must adopt by rule the content of the form to be filled out by a volunteer organ donor.  At a minimum, the form must include the following:

    (a) The name, address, telephone number, and date of birth of the volunteer organ donor; and

    (b) A space on the form that requires the volunteer organ donor to communicate his or her wish to be an organ donor to another person over age eighteen.  The witness shall also provide his or her name, address, and phone number, and sign the form signifying his or her understanding of the volunteer organ donor's intent.

    (5) The department must adopt by rule procedures for the broad dissemination and timely retrieval of volunteer organ donation forms, as well as the method and timing of entering new or updated organ donor information into the data base.

    (6) The department is authorized to adopt rules necessary to implement this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The sum of . . . . . dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, from the general fund to the department of social and health services for the purposes of this act.

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