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House Bill 2904 |
House Author: Zerwas |
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Effective: See below |
Senate Sponsor: Zaffirini |
Previous law required the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to establish the Glenda Dawson Donate Life-Texas Registry and enter into an agreement with an organization for the establishment of a statewide Internet-based registry of organ, tissue, and eye donors. House Bill 2904 amends the Health and Safety Code to abolish that registry and instead require DSHS, not later than January 1, 2012, to contract with a nonprofit organization to maintain a statewide donor registry known as the Glenda Dawson Donate Life-Texas Registry and require that organization to establish and maintain a statewide Internet-based registry of organ, tissue, and eye donors. The bill revises provisions relating to the administration of the registry, including certain provisions relating to the inclusion of personal identification information in the registry, the allocation and disbursement of funds relating to the registry, and the development of registry-related training and education. The bill also abolishes the Texas Organ, Tissue, and Eye Donor Council effective January 1, 2012, and provides for the transfer to DSHS of the council's duties, property, unexpended appropriations, money, contracts, leases, rights, and obligations.
House Bill 2904 amends the Transportation Code to require the Department of Public Safety to specifically ask each applicant for the issuance of an original, renewal, corrected, or duplicate driver's license or personal identification certificate whether the applicant wishes to register as an organ donor and, if so, to provide certain identifying information to the organization contracted to maintain the registry. The bill takes effect September 1, 2011, except for Health and Safety Code and Transportation Code provisions relating to the administration of the registry, which take effect January 1, 2012.