General Laws

[ Text of section effective until February 22, 2012. For text effective February 22, 2012, see below.]

  Section 8D. The registrar shall cause to be included in every notice of license and registration 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.

  The registrar shall include on an online license renewal form an option for the person submitting the form to donate a sum of not less than $2 to the Organ and Tissue Donor Registration Fund established in section 35E1/2 of chapter 10. The registrar shall annually report the total amount designated under this paragraph to the state treasurer who shall credit amounts received for that purpose to the fund.

  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.

  The registrar shall develop a means by which a person licensed by the registrar to operate a motor vehicle or holding an identification card issued under section 8E to register as an organ and tissue donor through the registry's website. The means shall be in addition to and shall contain the same security provisions as provided for the online renewal of licenses and registrations.

Chapter 90: Section 8D. Donor registry and anatomical gift act; information to be included with notice of license and registration renewal; symbol on license; charitable donations; liability of government employees; transmission of information to organ procurement organizations; educational materials

[ Text of section as amended by 2012, 39, Sec. 1 effective February 22, 2012. For text effective until February 22, 2012, see above.]

  Section 8D. The registrar shall include in every notice of license and registration renewal, including an electronic renewal, sent to a person licensed to operate a motor vehicle under this chapter a document or statement containing a summary description and explanation of the donor registry and the anatomical gift act as provided in chapter 113A. The registrar shall affix a suitable symbol to the license of a person who has made an anatomical gift under said chapter 113A.

  The registrar may, on behalf of the commonwealth, accept and use gifts of materials to effectuate 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 purposes of chapter 113A and may transmit the same to such charitable institution and may make and sign any agreements and may do and perform any acts which may be necessary or desirable to carry out this section.

  The registrar shall include on any license renewal form, including any electronic renewal form, an option for the person submitting the form to donate a sum of not less than $2 to the Organ and Tissue Donor Registration Fund established in section 35E1/2 of chapter 10. The registrar shall annually report the total amount designated under this paragraph to the state treasurer who shall credit amounts received for that purpose to the fund.

  Neither the registrar nor any employee of the commonwealth shall be liable in a suit for damages as a result of any acts or omissions or for any other action under this section.

  The registrar shall provide to organ procurement organizations, as defined in section 2 of chapter 113A, serving the commonwealth access through electronic transmission to names, dates of birth and other pertinent information of licensed drivers and identification card holders who have registered with the registry as organ and tissue donors for the sole purpose of identifying those drivers as donors in the donor registry pursuant to said chapter 113A. On any form used by the registry for organ and tissue donation, there shall be a disclaimer that informs the donor that certain information shall be provided to 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 and tissue donation. The information session shall include educational materials to be provided by organ procurement organizations serving the commonwealth.

  The registrar shall make available in all registry branches educational materials as provided by organ procurement organizations serving the commonwealth.

  The registrar shall develop a means by which a person licensed by the registrar to operate a motor vehicle or holding an identification card issued under section 8E to register as an organ and tissue donor through the registry's website. The means shall be in addition to and shall contain the same security provisions as provided for the online renewal of licenses and registrations.