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H4796 • 2025

An Act relative to organ transplant vehicles

An Act relative to organ transplant vehicles

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The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Paul J. Donato
Last action
2026-04-02
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to organ transplant vehicles

An Act relative to organ transplant vehicles By Representative Donato of Medford, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Paul J.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to organ transplant vehicles By Representative Donato of Medford, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Paul J.
  • Donato for legislation to regulate organ transport vehicles.
  • Public Health.
  • Status: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-02 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

  2. 2026-01-26 Joint

    Hearing rescheduled to 01/27/2026 from 11:00 AM-01:00 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New Start Time

  3. 2026-01-13 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 01/27/2026 from 09:00 AM-01:00 PM in A-1

  4. 2025-11-26 Senate

    Senate concurred

  5. 2025-11-24 House

    Reported, referred to the committee on Joint Rules, reported, rules suspended and referred to the committee on Public Health

  6. 2025-07-23 House

    Referred to the committee on House Rules

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to organ transplant vehicles
By Representative Donato of Medford, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Paul J. Donato for legislation to regulate organ transport vehicles. Public Health.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill H.4796

SECTION 1.

Section 7B of chapter 89 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “department”, in line 7, the following words:- , the driver of an organ transplant vehicle, as defined in section 245 of chapter 111, that is transporting human organs or medical personnel for the purpose of organ recovery or transplantation.

SECTION 2. Chapter 111 of the acts of 2022 is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 245.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

“Organ procurement organization”, an entity certified as an organ procurement organization by the federal centers for Medicare and Medicaid services.

“Organ transplant vehicle”, any vehicle owned by an organ procurement organization that is used to transport human organs or medical personnel for the purpose of organ recovery or transplantation.

(b) All organ transplant vehicles shall be registered with the department for operation as an organ transplant vehicle.

(c) During the time that an organ transplant vehicle is transporting human organs or medical personnel for the purpose of organ recovery or transplantation, the organ transplant vehicle shall be considered an emergency vehicle.

(d)

No organ transplant vehicle shall be operated as an emergency vehicle within the commonwealth unless:

(i) the organ procurement organization that owns and operates the vehicle is in compliance with any regulations promulgated pursuant to this section for the operation of such vehicles;

(ii) the vehicle is used solely for the purpose of transporting human organs or medical personnel for the purpose of organ recovery or transplantation while operating as an emergency vehicle;

(iii) the vehicle is designated and clearly identified as an organ transplant vehicle, and, prior to its operation as an organ transplant vehicle, the organ procurement organization which owns and operates the vehicle has registered with the department pursuant to subsection (b); and

(iv) the driver of the vehicle has undergone any training for the operation of an organ transplant vehicle as the department may require.

(e)

The department shall promulgate regulations to carry out the purpose of this section. Such regulations shall include, but not be limited to:

(i)

standards for the registration and operation of organ transplant vehicles;

(ii) standards for organ transplant vehicle operations, vehicles and equipment including compliance with this chapter and the training of organ transplant vehicle drivers for the safe operation of such vehicles during an emergency operation; and

(iii) a requirement for organ procurement organizations to establish and enforce written policies concerning minimum qualifications and physical requirements for organ transplant vehicle drivers and for the equipping and maintenance of such vehicles.

(f) The commissioner may revoke or suspend an organ transplant vehicle’s registration on proof that an organ procurement organization has failed to comply with the provisions of this section or any regulations promulgated pursuant this section.

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