Senate advances update to anatomical‑gift law after medical testimony and procedural safeguards discussed

Senate Bill 107, presented Jan. 25, would amend Utah's anatomical gift law to add a definitions section, recognize enucleators and technicians for tissue procurement, allow next‑of‑kin to revoke or make donations after death (unless the donor explicitly refused while living), require hospitals to designate a staff member to discuss donation with families, and prohibit the sale or purchase of body parts.

Sponsor remarks emphasized the need to modernize state law to match evolving medical practice and to provide liability protections for good‑faith actors. Several senators raised concerns about allowing medical examiners to authorize removal in limited circumstances. Senator Black and others recounted past incidents in which corneas were taken without adequate family notification and urged tightened safeguards.

Dr. Joe Hatch, a corneal transplant surgeon involved with the eye bank, addressed the chamber and described current practice and time constraints. "We've sort of felt that 6 hours is permissible in corneal use, after the time of death when the tissue can still be taken and it can still be useful," he said, adding that roughly 5% of corneas come via medical‑examiner cases and that hospitals and eye‑bank procedures aim to reach next‑of‑kin when possible.

Senators proposed and the sponsor accepted further technical adjustments; the floor voted to place SB 107 on the third‑reading calendar after a favorable committee report (27 ayes, no nays, 2 absent). The sponsor also requested a Committee of the Whole to allow hospital and eye‑bank representatives to address technical questions before final passage.