Uniform Anatomical Gift – General – Florida

Any person who may make a will may give all or part of his or her body for any statutorily allowed purpose.  An anatomical gift to takes effect upon death.

An anatomical gift may be made by will. The gift becomes effective upon the death of the testator without waiting for probate. If the will is not probated or if it is declared invalid for testamentary purposes, the gift is nevertheless valid to the extent that it has been acted upon in good faith.

An anatomical gift may also be made by a document other than a will. The gift becomes effective upon the death of the donor. The document must be signed by the donor in the presence of two witnesses who shall sign the document in the donor’s presence. If the donor cannot sign, the document may be signed for him or her at the donor’s direction and in his or her presence and the presence of two witnesses who must sign the document in the donor’s presence.

Delivery of the document of gift during the donor’s lifetime is not necessary to make the gift valid.

The statutory “Uniform Donor Card” is sufficient to make an anatomical gift.

If an anatomical gift is made pursuant to s. 765.521, the completed donor registration card shall be delivered to the department, and the department must communicate the donor’s intent to the donor registry, but delivery is not necessary to the validity of the gift. If the donor withdraws the gift, the records of the department must be updated to reflect such withdrawal, and the department must communicate the withdrawal to the donor registry for the purpose of updating the registry.

If an anatomical gift is made by the donor to a specified donee, the document of gift, other than a will, may be delivered to the donee to expedite the appropriate procedures immediately after death, but delivery is not necessary to the validity of the gift. The document of gift may be deposited in any hospital, bank, storage facility, or registry office that accepts such documents for safekeeping or to facilitate the donation of organs and tissue after death.

At the request of any interested party upon or after the donor’s death, the person in possession shall produce the document of gift for examination.

A donor may amend the terms of or revoke an anatomical gift by:

(a) The execution and delivery to the donee of a signed statement witnessed by at least two adults, at least one of whom is a disinterested witness.

(b) An oral statement that is made in the presence of two persons, one of whom is not a family member, and communicated to the donor’s family or attorney or to the donee. An oral statement is effective only if the procurement organization, transplant hospital, or physician or technician has actual notice of the oral amendment or revocation before an incision is made to the decedent’s body or an invasive procedure to prepare the recipient has begun.

(c) A statement made during a terminal illness or injury addressed to the primary physician, who must communicate the revocation of the gift to the procurement organization.

(d) A signed document found on or about the donor’s person.

(e) Removing his or her name from the donor registry.

(f) A later-executed document of gift which amends or revokes a previous anatomical gift or portion of an anatomical gift, either expressly or by inconsistency.

(g) By the destruction or cancellation of the document of gift or the destruction or cancellation of that portion of the document of gift used to make the gift with the intent to revoke the gift.

(2) Any anatomical gift made by a will may also be amended or revoked in the manner provided for the amendment or revocation of wills or as provided in paragraph (1)(a).

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