ANATOMICAL GIFT ACT 40-928 O HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNITED STATES SENATE NINETY-FIRST CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON S. 2999 TO AUTHORIZE, IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, THE FOR SPECIFIED PURPOSES FEBRUARY 4, 1970 Printed for the use of the Committee on the District of Columbia U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1970 Feld, Arthur S., Esq., chairman, Committee on Medico-Legal Matters, Bar Association of the District of Columbia___ Hume, Dr. David M., chairman, Department of Surgery, Medical College Kneipp, Robert F., assistant corporation counsel, Legislation and Opinions Division, District of Columbia government Munter, Godfrey, member, National Conference of Commissioners on Sadler, Dr. Alfred M., Jr., National Institutes of Health_ Sadler, Blair L., attorney, National Institutes of Health.. Schepers, Dr. Gerrit, chief, Bureau of Laboratories, District of Columbia Schreiner, Dr. George E., chairman, Medical Board, National Kidney Foundation; professor of medicine, Georgetown University, and director of the Renal and Electrolyte Division; and chairman, Advisory Board of Washington, D.C., Kidney Foundation... Smirnow, Virgil, executive director, National Capital Area Kidney Camalier, Dr. C. Willard, Jr., member, Executive Board of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia.. Feld, Arthur S., Esq., chairman, Committee on Medico-Legal Matters, Bar Association of the District of Columbia___. Hume, Dr. David M., chairman, Department of Surgery, Medical College Kneipp, Robert F., assistant corporation counsel, Legislation and Opinions Division, District of Columbia government... Sadler, Dr. Alfred M., Jr., National Institutes of Health. MATERIAL SUBMITTED Amendment of section 4 of the District of Columbia Tissue Bank Act proposed by Robert F. Kneipp, assistant corporation counsel, District of Columbia government.. Editorial by Dr. George E. Schreiner- Eyebanks using technicians and morticians to enucleate eyes.- Facts about the National Transplant Information Center and the National Council on Tissue Utilization and Transplantation.. Model donor card from Modern Medicine___. Organ transplant pool set up by Medic Alert, press release of March 19, "Questions and Answers About Organ Donation," pamphlet by National Resolution of the National Kidney Foundation of the National Capital "Transplantation and the Law: Progress Toward Uniformity," article by Dr. Alfred Sadler, Blair Sadler, and E. Blythe Stason_- Uniform donor card (same as used by National Kidney Foundation)_ Bergen, Richard P., executive secretary, American Medical Association.. Burdick, Eugene A., chairman, Executive Committee, National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws... Cooley, Dr. Denton A., Texas Heart Institute.. Cooper, Dr. Theodore, director, National Heart and Lung Institute, Mackey, J. Thomas, executive secretary, Eye Bank & Research Founda- LETTERS RECEIVED SUBSEQUENT TO HEARING Clark, Dr. William B., executive director, Eye Bank Association of America, Cornblath, Dr. Marvin, director, National Pituitary Agency, University Davis, Vice Admiral G. M., Surgeon General, Department of the Navy.. Stevenson, Dr. R. E., manager, Biological Sciences, Union Carbide Corp. ANATOMICAL GIFT ACT WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1970 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 6226, New Senate Office Building, Senator Charles E. Goodell presiding. Present: Senator Goodell. Also present: John T. McEvoy, staff director; David A. Cooper, counsel; Alice Tetelman, legislative assistant to Senator Goodell, and Edith B. Moore, assistant chief clerk. Senator GOODELL. This hearing will come to order. It has become a common occurrence to learn of startling new developments in the transplantation of organs from one human being to another. The future potentials of this method for prolonging life and curing illness seem limitless, indeed. Nonetheless, these breakthroughs in medical technology also carry with them implications far beyond a doctor's dramatic saving of a human life. Complex legal, ethical, sociological, economic, and political factors are inherently present in any operation of this kind. Throughout the country until recently, there have been serious legal restrictions which have hampered an individual donor and a physician able and willing to undertake a transplant. Laws relating to the disposition of a dead body and to the donation of organs for transplantation are under State jurisdiction, and in the case of the District of Columbia they are governed by the Congress. With the growing use of transplantation as a recognized therapeutic devicebringing with it such practices as the sharing of donated organs among regional centers located in different States-the need became increasingly apparent for a uniform donation statute which could afford a comprehensive legal framework for the donation and use of organs and tissue for medical research, education, and therapy than previously existed. In July 1968, after 3 years of study by a special committee, the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws gave final approval to a uniform donation statute known as the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act. This model act has been approved by every major medical and legal organization in the United States. Forty States have already passed laws directly based on this model statute. The bill I introduced for the District of Columbia-S. 2999-which is the subject of this hearing today, is the same model statute approved by these national organizations. S. 2999 also contains some modifications of existing District law in order to update and conform present statutes. I am pleased to note that all of the other members of this committee have cosponsored the bill. |