Organ Donation Amendments

12
23A-1-207
26B-1-436
26B-2-244
59-10-103.1
0
Organ Donation Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Doug Owens
Senate Sponsor: Calvin R. Musselman
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses public awareness of organ donation and opportunities for individuals to
register as organ donors.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
requires or encourages information about the option and process to register as an organ
donor, to be provided in connection with or in certain circumstances related to:
the Division of Wildlife Resources' website;
a health care facility; and
individual income tax instructions booklets and the State Tax Commission's website;
requires the Department of Health and Human Services to convene a coalition of
life-saving programs and create a comprehensive plan for communicating about those
programs through state-owned channels; and
make technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
59-10-103.1
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 344
ENACTS:
23A-1-207
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
26B-1-436
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
26B-2-244
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
23A-1-207
is enacted to read:
23A-1-207
. Organ donation.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Donor" means the same as that term is defined in Section
26B-8-301
.
(b)
"Donor registry" means the same as that term is defined in Section
26B-8-301
.
(2)
On the division's website, the division shall provide:
(a)
information about the option to register as a donor; and
(b)
a link to a website for a donor registry where an individual can register as a donor.
(3)
The requirements in Subsection
(2)
do not apply if the division provides information on
the division's website in connection with a comprehensive plan described in Section
26B-1-436
.
Section 2. Section
26B-1-436
is enacted to read:
26B-1-436
. Life-saving programs, coalition, and plan.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Comprehensive plan" means a comprehensive plan described in Subsection
(3)
.
(b)
"Director" means an executive director, director, commissioner, general manager, or
other similar position that has ultimate responsibility for the operation of a state
entity.
(c)
"Life-saving program" means a program or initiative intended to prevent the
imminent loss of human life through:
(i)
emergency response awareness;
(ii)
medical or public safety education; or
(iii)
providing time-sensitive safety information to the public.
(d)
"State publication channel" means a website or publication of a state entity that:
(i)
the public accesses, uses, or interacts with in significant volume; and
(ii)
is approved for use in connection with a comprehensive plan by the director, or
the director's designee, of the state entity that controls the website or publication.
(2)
To maximize the opportunity to save lives in the state, the department shall convene a
coalition of state-funded and state-sponsored life-saving programs.
(3)
The department shall create a comprehensive plan, including best practices and
principles, for utilizing state publication channels to communicate information about
life-saving programs to the public.
(4)
The comprehensive plan may include a schedule coordinating when each life-saving
program is promoted through state publication channels, which may also coordinate with
promotional periods or commemorative periods declared by the governor, and may
address the allocation of costs.
Section 3. Section
26B-2-244
is enacted to read:
26B-2-244
. Organ donation.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Donor" means the same as that term is defined in Section
26B-8-301
.
(b)
"Donor registry" means the same as that term is defined in Section
26B-8-301
.
(2)
A health care facility licensed under this part shall provide information to a patient
about how to access a donor registry established under Section
26B-8-319
prior to
discharge.
Section 4. Section
59-10-103.1
is amended to read:
59-10-103.1
. Information to be contained on individual income tax returns or
booklets.
(1)
The commission shall print the phrase "all state income tax dollars support education,
children, and individuals with disabilities" on:
(a)
the first page of an individual income tax return; and
(b)
the cover page of an individual income tax forms and instructions booklet.
(2)
The commission shall include on an individual income tax return a statement for a
property owner to declare that the property owner no longer qualifies to receive a
residential exemption authorized under Section
59-2-103
for that property owner's
primary residence.
(3)
(a)
The commission shall include in each instruction booklet information about the
option to register as a donor, as that term is defined in Section
26B-8-301
, and
instructions for accessing a donor registry established under Section
26B-8-319
.
(b)
The commission shall include on the commission's website information about the
option to register as a donor, as that term is defined in Section
26B-8-301
, and a link
to a website for a donor registry established under Section
26B-8-319
.
(c)
The requirements in Subsections
(3)(a)
and (b) do not apply if the commission
provides information in each instruction booklet and on the commission's website in
connection with a comprehensive plan described in Section
26B-1-436
.
Section 5.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
3-2-26 9:19 AM