A. With the exception of hair, ova, blood, and other self-replicating body fluids, it shall be unlawful for any person to sell, to offer to sell, to buy, to offer to buy, or to procure through purchase any natural body part for any reason including, but not limited to, medical and scientific uses such as transplantation, implantation, infusion, or injection. Any person engaging in any of these prohibited activities shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.

Attorney's Note

Under the Virginia Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class 4 felony2 to 10 yearsup to $100,000
For details, see Va. Code § 18.2-10

Terms Used In Virginia Code 32.1-291.16

  • Donor: The person who makes a gift.
  • Person: means an individual, corporation, partnership, or association or any other legal entity. See Virginia Code 32.1-3

B. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the reimbursement of reasonable expenses associated with the removal, processing, preservation, quality control, storage, transportation, implantation, or disposal of a part.

C. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the donation of any organs, tissues, or any natural body part, knowing that the donor is, or was, infected with a sexually transmitted infection, for use in medical or scientific research.

D. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A, this section shall not prohibit the donation or acquisition of organs for transplantation, provided that (i) the recipient of such organ is informed that such organ is infected with human immunodeficiency virus and, following such notice, consents to the receipt of such organ and (ii) acquisition and transplantation of such organ is in compliance with the provisions of the federal HIV Organ Policy Equity Act, 42 U.S.C. § 274f-5.

2007, cc. 92, 907; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 465.