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History
- Signed chap.174
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading cal.609
- Substituted for A8594
- Referred to health
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 59–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.45
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Extends, for an additional 4 years, the provisions of Lauren's law, providing for the election to or declining to elect to register in the donate life registry for organ and tissue donation
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Felix Ortiz
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend Lauren's law, in relation to extending the expiration date of the provisions thereof
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this legislation is to extend for an additional four years the provisions of state law requiring individuals who apply for a New York State Drivers License to complete the organ donor registry section. The applicant must check the box for either "yes" or "skip this question" under the organ donor registry section of the application.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. This bill would extend Chapter 465 of 2012 for an additional four years, until the year 2020.
Chapter 465 of 2012 amends the public health law to require the DMV commissioner to provide space on certain driver forms for registering or declining to register in the donate life registry. This applies to an application or renewal form of a license, non-driver identification card application or renewal form. On the application, in clear and conspicuous writing, an individual is required to check either "yes" or "skip this question" when answering the question "Would you like to be added to the Donate life registry?"
Chapter 465 also provides that the commissioner shall not maintain records of any person who checks "skip this question." Failure to check a box will not impair the validity of the application and failure to check "yes" or checking "skip this question" will not be interpreted as a wish not to donate.
If an applicant is not 18 years of age, checking "yes" will not constitute consent to make an anatomical gift. And where an applicant has previously consented to make an anatomical gift or registered in the donate life registry, checking "skip this question" or failing to check a box will not impair this previous consent or registration.
Section 2 states that this Act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
Chapter 465 of 2012, named after a 12-year old girl who received a lifesaving heart transplant, is set to expire in October 2016. This legislation would extend the provisions of this chapter until October 2020, which requires applicants who fill out motor vehicle forms to affirmatively check that, "yes" they will be an organ donor, or to check the box stating that they are skipping the question.
According to the New York State Organ Donor Network, New York currently has the lowest Donor Designation Rate in the United States. Extension of this law will continue to promote and increase the number of organ donors in the state while taking into consideration all of the individual rights of persons to decline enrollment into the program.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.