BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 187

By: Nelson

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been reported that a truck containing embalmed human heads used for medical training was recently found on a Texas highway without any written documentation. Concerned parties contend that current law does not adequately provide for written chain-of-custody documentation for the transport of bodies and body parts in Texas.

S.B. 187 seeks to require more stringent documentation for the transportation of bodies and body parts and to further inform people making an anatomical donation for research purposes of the options, risks, and benefits associated with making such a donation by amending current law relating to human body and anatomical specimen donation.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Anatomical Board of the State of Texas in SECTIONS 2 and 3 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 187 amends the Health and Safety Code to require the Anatomical Board of the State of Texas, not later than January 1, 2012, to develop a document to inform a person making a gift of a decedent's body or anatomical specimen for purposes of education or research of the risks and benefits associated with donation and to require the board to make the document available on the board's Internet website. The bill requires the board to adopt rules to ensure that a label with the statement "CONTENTS DERIVED FROM DONATED HUMAN TISSUE" is affixed to the container in which the body or anatomical specimen is transported and to ensure that each person who has control or possession of a body or anatomical specimen satisfactorily completes the information required on a chain-of-custody form prescribed by the board, maintains a copy of the form for the person's records, and transfers the form to any other person to whom control or possession of the body or anatomical specimen is transferred.  The bill requires the board to adopt the rules and form not later than January 1, 2012.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.