KRS 311.1935: Rights and duties of procurement organization and others.

(1) When a hospital refers an individual at or near death to a procurement organization,

the organization shall make a reasonable search of the records of the Transportation

Cabinet, the registry created under KRS 311.1947, and any donor registry that it

knows exists for the geographical area in which the individual resides to ascertain

whether the individual has made an anatomical gift.

(2) A procurement organization shall be allowed reasonable access to information in

the records of the registries listed in subsection (1) of this section to ascertain

whether an individual at or near death is a donor.

(3) When a hospital refers an individual at or near death to a procurement organizati on,

the organization may conduct any reasonable standard medical evaluation or

examination necessary to ensure the medical suitability of a part that is or could be

the subject of an anatomical gift for transplantation, therapy, research, or education

from a donor or a prospective donor. During the examination period, from the

evaluation through the recovery of a medically suitable donor's gift, measures

necessary to ensure the medical suitability of the part may not be withdrawn unless

the hospital or proc urement organization knows that the individual expressed a

contrary intent. Measures necessary to ensure the medical suitability of the part

from a prospective donor may be administered unless it is determined that the

administration of those measures woul d not provide the prospective donor with

appropriate end -of-life care, or it can be anticipated by reasonable medical

judgment that such measures would result in or hasten the prospective donor's

death.

(4) Unless prohibited by law other than KRS 311.1911 to 311.1959, at any time after a

donor's death, the person to which a part passes under KRS 311.1929 may conduct

any reasonable examination necessary to ensure the medical suitability of the body

or part for its intended purpose.

(5) Unless prohibited by l aw other than KRS 311.1911 to 311.1959, an examination

under subsection (3) or (4) of this section may include an examination of all

medical and dental records of the donor or prospective donor.

(6) Upon the death of a minor who was a donor or had signed a refusal, unless a

procurement organization knows the minor is emancipated, the procurement

organization shall conduct a reasonable search for the parents of the minor and

provide the parents with an opportunity to revoke or amend the anatomical gift or

revoke the refusal.

(7) Upon referral by a hospital under subsection (1) of this section, a procurement

organization shall make a reasonable search for any person listed in KRS 311.1925

having priority to make an anatomical gift on behalf of a prospective do nor. If a

procurement organization receives information that an anatomical gift to any other

person was made, amended, or revoked, it shall promptly advise the other person of

all relevant information.

(8) Subject to KRS 311.1929(9) and 311.1953, the right s of the person to which a part

passes under KRS 311.1929 are superior to the rights of all others with respect to

the part. The person may accept or reject an anatomical gift in whole or in part.

Subject to the terms of the document of gift and KRS 311.19 11 to 311.1959, a

person that accepts an anatomical gift of an entire body may allow embalming,

burial, or cremation, and use of remains in a funeral service. If the gift is of a part,

the person to which the part passes under KRS 311.1929, upon the death of the

donor and before embalming, burial, or cremation, shall cause the part to be

removed without unnecessary mutilation.

(9) Neither the physician who attends the decedent at death nor the physician who

determines the time of the decedent's death may pa rticipate in the procedures for

removing or transplanting a part from the decedent.

(10) A physician or technician may remove a donated part from the body of a donor that

the physician or technician is qualified to remove.