Uniform Anatomical Gift – General – Nebraska

71-4826.Applicability of act.

The Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act applies to an anatomical gift or amendment to, revocation of, or refusal to make an anatomical gift, whenever made.

71-4827.Who may make anatomical gift before donor’s death.

An anatomical gift of a donor’s body or part may be made during the life of the donor for the purpose of transplantation, therapy, research, or education in the manner provided in section 71-4828 by:

(1) The donor, if the donor is an adult or if the donor is a minor and is:

(A) Emancipated; or

(B) Authorized under state law to apply for a driver’s license and the donor is at least sixteen years of age;

(2) An agent of the donor, unless the power of attorney for health care or other record prohibits the agent from making an anatomical gift;

(3) A parent of the donor, if the donor is an unemancipated minor; or

(4) The donor’s guardian.

71-4828.Manner of making anatomical gift before donor’s death.

A donor may make an anatomical gift:

(1) By authorizing a statement or symbol indicating that the donor has made an anatomical gift to be imprinted on the donor’s driver’s license or identification card;

(2) In a will;

(3) During a terminal illness or injury of the donor, by any form of communication addressed to at least two adults, at least one of whom is a disinterested witness; or

A donor or other person authorized to make an anatomical gift under section 71-4827 may make a gift by a donor card or other record signed by the donor or other person making the gift or by authorizing that a statement or symbol indicating that the donor has made an anatomical gift be included on a donor registry. If the donor or other person is physically unable to sign a record, the record may be signed by another individual at the direction of the donor or other person and must:

(1) Be witnessed by at least two adults, at least one of whom is a disinterested witness, who have signed at the request of the donor or the other person; and

(2) State that it has been signed and witnessed as provided.

Revocation, suspension, expiration, or cancellation of a driver’s license or identification card upon which an anatomical gift is indicated does not invalidate the gift.

An anatomical gift made by will takes effect upon the donor’s death whether or not the will is probated. Invalidation of the will after the donor’s death does not invalidate the gift.

71-4829.Amending or revoking anatomical gift before donor’s death.

A donor or other person authorized to make an anatomical gift under section 71-4827 may amend or revoke an anatomical gift by:

(1) A record signed by:

(A) The donor;

(B) The other person; or

(C) Another individual acting at the direction of the donor or the other person if the donor or other person is physically unable to sign; or

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

A record signed pursuant to subdivision (a)(1)(C) of this section must:

(1) Be witnessed by at least two adults, at least one of whom is a disinterested witness, who have signed at the request of the donor or the other person; and

(2) State that it has been signed and witnessed.

A donor or other person authorized to make an anatomical gift under section 71-4827 may revoke an anatomical gift by the destruction or cancellation of the document of gift, or the portion of the document of gift used to make the gift, with the intent to revoke the gift.

A donor may amend or revoke an anatomical gift that was not made in a will by any form of communication during a terminal illness or injury addressed to at least two adults, at least one of whom is a disinterested witness.

A donor who makes an anatomical gift in a will may amend or revoke the gift in the manner provided for amendment or revocation of wills.

71-4830.Refusal to make anatomical gift; effect of refusal.

An individual may refuse to make an anatomical gift of the individual’s body or part by:

(1) A record signed by:

(A) The individual; or

(B) Another individual acting at the direction of the individual if the individual is physically unable to sign;

(2) The individual’s will, whether or not the will is admitted to probate or invalidated after the individual’s death; or

(3) Any form of communication made by the individual during the individual’s terminal illness or injury addressed to at least two adults, at least one of whom is a disinterested witness.

A record signed must:

(1) Be witnessed by at least two adults, at least one of whom is a disinterested witness, who have signed at the request of the individual; and

(2) State that it has been signed and witnessed.

An individual who has made a refusal may amend or revoke the refusal:

(1) In the manner provided in subsection (a) of this section for making a refusal;

(2) By subsequently making an anatomical gift pursuant to section 71-4828 that is inconsistent with the refusal; or

(3) By destroying or canceling the record evidencing the refusal, or the portion of the record used to make the refusal, with the intent to revoke the refusal.

In the absence of an express, contrary indication by the individual set forth in the refusal, an individual’s unrevoked refusal to make an anatomical gift of the individual’s body or part bars all other persons from making an anatomical gift of the individual’s body or part.

71-4832. Who may make anatomical gift of decedent’s body or part.

An anatomical gift of a decedent’s body or part for purpose of transplantation, therapy, research, or education may be made by any member of the following classes of persons who is reasonably available, in the order of priority listed:

(1) An agent of the decedent at the time of death who could have made an anatomical gift under subdivision (2) of section 71-4827 immediately before the decedent’s death;

(2) The spouse of the decedent;

(3) Adult children of the decedent;

(4) Parents of the decedent;

(5) Adult siblings of the decedent;

(6) Adult grandchildren of the decedent;

(7) Grandparents of the decedent;

(8) The persons who were acting as the guardians of the person of the decedent at the time of death;

(9) An adult who exhibited special care and concern for the decedent other than any medical personnel caring for the decedent at the time of or immediately leading up to the decedent’s death; and

(10) Any other person having the authority to dispose of the decedent’s body.

If there is more than one member of a class listed in subdivision (a)(1), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), or (8) of this section entitled to make an anatomical gift, an anatomical gift may be made by a member of the class unless that member or a person to which the gift may pass under section 71-4834 knows of an objection by another member of the class. If an objection is known, the gift may be made only by a majority of the members of the class who are reasonably available.

A person may not make an anatomical gift if, at the time of the decedent’s death, a person in a prior class under subsection (a) of this section is reasonably available to make or to object to the making of an anatomical gift.

71-4833. Manner of making, amending, or revoking anatomical gift of decedent’s body or part.

A person authorized to make an anatomical gift under section 71-4832 may make an anatomical gift by a document of gift signed by the person making the gift or by that person’s oral communication that is electronically recorded or is contemporaneously reduced to a record and signed by the individual receiving the oral communication.

An anatomical gift by a person authorized under section 71-4832 may be amended or revoked orally or in a record by any member of a prior class who is reasonably available. If more than one member of the prior class is reasonably available, the gift made by a person authorized under section 71-4832 may be:

(1) Amended only if a majority of the reasonably available members agree to the amending of the gift; or

(2) Revoked only if a majority of the reasonably available members agree to the revoking of the gift or if they are equally divided as to whether to revoke the gift.

A revocation under subsection (b) of this section is effective only if, before an incision has been made to remove a part from the donor’s body or before invasive procedures have begun to prepare the recipient, the procurement organization, transplant hospital, or physician or technician knows of the revocation.

71-4834.Persons that may receive anatomical gift; purpose of anatomical gift.

An anatomical gift may be made to the following persons named in the document of gift:

(1) A hospital; the State Anatomical Board; an accredited medical school, dental school, college, or university; an organ procurement organization; or any other appropriate person, for research or education;

(2) An individual designated by the person making the anatomical gift if the individual is the recipient of the part; or

(3) An eye bank or tissue bank.

If an anatomical gift to an individual under subdivision (a)(2) of this section cannot be transplanted into the individual, the part passes in accordance with subsection (g) of this section in the absence of an express, contrary indication by the person making the anatomical gift.

If an anatomical gift of one or more specific parts or of all parts is made in a document of gift that does not name a person described in subsection (a) of this section but identifies the purpose for which an anatomical gift may be used, the following rules apply:

(1) If the part is an eye and the gift is for the purpose of transplantation or therapy, the gift passes to the appropriate eye bank;

(2) If the part is tissue and the gift is for the purpose of transplantation or therapy, the gift passes to the appropriate tissue bank;

(3) If the part is an organ and the gift is for the purpose of transplantation or therapy, the gift passes to the appropriate organ procurement organization as custodian of the organ;

(4) If the part is an organ, an eye, or tissue and the gift is for the purpose of research or education, the gift passes to the appropriate procurement organization; and

(5) If the gift is any part other than an organ, an eye, or tissue, or the gift is all parts, and the gift is for the purpose of research or education, the gift passes to the State Anatomical Board.

For the purpose of subsection (c) of this section, if there is more than one purpose of an anatomical gift set forth in the document of gift but the purposes are not set forth in any priority, the gift must be used for transplantation or therapy, if suitable. If the gift cannot be used for transplantation or therapy, the gift may be used for research or education.

If an anatomical gift of one or more specific parts is made in a document of gift that does not name a person described in subsection (a) of this section and does not identify the purpose of the gift, the gift may be used only for transplantation or therapy, and the gift passes in accordance with subsection (g) of this section.

If a document of gift specifies only a general intent to make an anatomical gift by words such as donor, organ donor, or body donor, or by a symbol or statement of similar import, the gift may be used only for transplantation or therapy, and the gift passes in accordance with subsection (g) of this section.

For purposes of subsections (b), (e), and (f) of this section the following rules apply:

(1) If the part is an eye, the gift passes to the appropriate eye bank;

(2) If the part is tissue, the gift passes to the appropriate tissue bank; and

(3) If the part is an organ, the gift passes to the appropriate organ procurement organization as custodian of the organ.

An anatomical gift of an organ for transplantation or therapy, other than an anatomical gift under subdivision (a)(2) of this section, passes to the organ procurement organization as custodian of the organ.

If an anatomical gift does not pass pursuant to subsections (a) through (h) of this section or the decedent’s body or part is not used for transplantation, therapy, research, or education, custody of the body or part passes to the person under obligation to dispose of the body or part.

A person may not accept an anatomical gift if the person knows that the gift was not effectively made under section 71-4828 or 71-4833 or if the person knows that the decedent made a refusal under section 71-4830 that was not revoked. For purposes of this subsection, if a person knows that an anatomical gift was made on a document of gift, the person is deemed to know of any amendment or revocation of the gift or any refusal to make an anatomical gift on the same document of gift.

Nothing in the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act affects the allocation of organs for transplantation or therapy.

71-4836.Delivery of document of gift not required; right to examine.

A document of gift need not be delivered during the donor’s lifetime to be effective. Upon or after an individual’s death, a person in possession of a document of gift or a refusal to make an anatomical gift with respect to the individual shall allow examination and copying of the document of gift or refusal by a person authorized to make or object to the making of an anatomical gift with respect to the individual or by a person to which the gift could pass under section 71-4834.

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