Sec.19a-279l-3. Notification and search

(a) Upon admission of a person who is at or near the time of death, the hospital shall make a reasonable search for a document of gift or other information identifying the bearer as a donor or as a person who has refused to make an anatomical gift, unless such information is otherwise immediately available.

(b) The hospital shall notify the named donee if one is named and known to the hospital; if not, it shall notify an appropriate procurement organization and cooperate in implementation of the anatomical gift or release and removal of a part if the hospital knows that:

(1) any member of an authorized class of persons has made an anatomical gift of all or part of the body of a person pursuant to section 19a-279c of the Connecticut General Statutes:

(A) The order of priority of the authorized classes is:

(i) spouse;

(ii) adult son or daughter;

(iii) either parent;

(iv) adult brother or sister;

(v) grandparent;

(vi) guardian of the person;

(vii) any person legally authorized to make health care decisions for the decedent prior to death, including but not limited to a health care agent;

(viii) conservator of the person.

(B) An anatomical gift may be made by a person listed in subparagraph (A) above only if:

(i) a person in a prior class is not available; and

(ii) the person proposing the gift does not know of any contrary indications by the decedent, and

(iii) the person proposing the gift does not know of any objection by a member of that person's class or a prior class.

(2) release or removal of a body part has been permitted under the auspices of the Chief Medical Examiner serving as facilitator for tissue harvesting and organ procurement, or

(3) a person in transit to the hospital is such a donor.

(c) An emergency medical services provider, as defined in section 19a-179-1 (g) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, finding a person who the emergency medical services provider believes to be dead or near death shall conduct a reasonable search for a document of gift or other information identifying the bearer as a donor or as a person who has refused to make an anatomical gift. The searcher shall send or cause to be sent to the hospital any document or other evidence relating to the making of an anatomical gift.

(Effective February 26, 1990; Amended December 29, 2000)