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 department of transportation 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.

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 23-06.6-13

  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Donor: The person who makes a gift.
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Individual: means a human being. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Organization: includes a foreign or domestic association, business trust, corporation, enterprise, estate, joint venture, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or any legal or commercial entity. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Person: means an individual, organization, government, political subdivision, or government agency or instrumentality. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49

2.    A procurement organization must be allowed reasonable access to information in the records of the department of transportation 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 organization, the organization may conduct any reasonable 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 During the examination period, measures necessary to ensure the medical suitability of the part may not be withdrawn unless the hospital or procurement organization knows that the individual expressed a contrary intent or the measures are contrary to reasonable medical standards.

4.    Unless prohibited by law other than this chapter, at any time after a donor’s death, the person to which a part passes under section 23-06.6-10 may conduct any reasonable examination necessary to ensure the medical suitability of the body or part for its intended purpose.

5.    Unless prohibited by law other than this chapter, an examination under subsection 3 or 4 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, a procurement organization shall make a reasonable search for any person listed in section 23-06.6-08 having priority to make an anatomical gift on behalf of a prospective donor. 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 subsection 9 of section 23-06.6-10 and section 23-06.6-22, the rights of the person to which a part passes under section 23-06.6-10 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 this chapter, a person that accepts an anatomical gift of an entire body may allow embalming, burial or cremation, whole-body donation to a school of medicine, and use of remains in a funeral service. If the gift is of a part, the person to which the part passes under section 23-06.6-10, upon the death of the donor and before embalming, burial, whole- body donation to a school of medicine, 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 participate 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 which the physician or technician is qualified to remove.