{"data":{"id":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-16-65-1","jurisdiction":"us-wv","citation":"W. Va. Code § 16-65-1","heading":"Legislative intent.","body":"The Legislature finds that:\n(1) A mental or physical disability does not diminish a person’s right to health care;\n(2) The “Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990” prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities, yet many individuals with disabilities still experience discrimination in accessing critical health care services;\n(3) Individuals with mental and physical disabilities have historically been denied life-saving organ transplants based on assumptions that their lives are less worthy, that they are incapable of complying with post-transplant medical regimens, or that they lack adequate support systems to ensure such compliance;\n(4) Although organ transplant centers must consider medical and psychosocial criteria when determining if a patient is suitable to receive an organ transplant, transplant centers that participate in Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded programs are required to use patient selection criteria that result in a fair and nondiscriminatory distribution of organs; and\n(5) West Virginia residents in need of organ transplants are entitled to assurances that they will not encounter discrimination on the basis of a disability.","path":["CHAPTER 16. PUBLIC HEALTH.","ARTICLE 65. NONDISCRIMINATION RELATING TO ACCESS TO ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION."],"source_url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/16-65-1/","current_through":"as of 2026-08-03; contains at least the enactments of the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T00:23:45Z","sha256":"c25ead1708dd3c0fd1da4c0725359a333864ee3bd0f28d2eb4a7655f4498b38e","source_id":"us-wv","stale":true,"prev":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-16-64-10","next":"us-wv/w.-va.-code-16-65-2"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}