Tennessee Bill to Develop Electronic Organ Donation Registry Signed into Law

The creation of an online organ donation registry was signed into law today by Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen during a bill signing ceremony at the state capitol in Nashville. Bill SB 2963 makes organ procurement agencies responsible for creating and maintaining the electronic registry of Tennessean donors instead of requiring the department of safety to create such a registry.

On a weekly basis, the registry will be updated with the names and contact information of each Tennessean who consented to be organ donors. The information provided would not go further then the organ donor agencies. This bill makes the registry available electronically, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to representatives of federally-designated organ procurement agencies and tissue banks.

Under this law, individuals can give or withdraw consent to be listed in the registry by notifying the department, in writing or by any other approved means, including electronic access to the registry, and participation in the registry remains voluntary.