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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>81426</law_id><section_number>32.1-291.21</section_number><catch_line>Effect of anatomical gift on advance health-care directive</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="32.1">Health</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="8">Postmortem Examinations and Services</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Anatomical Gifts</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> In this section:
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Advance health-care directive</span>&#x201D; means an advance directive executed by a prospective donor as provided in the <span class="dictionary">Health Care Decisions</span> Act (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Short title" href="/54.1-2981/">54.1-2981</a> et seq.).
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Declaration</span>&#x201D; means a record signed by a prospective donor specifying the circumstances under which a life support system may be withheld or withdrawn from the prospective donor.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Health care decision</span>&#x201D; means any decision regarding the health care of the prospective donor. <a id="paragraph-291768" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/32.1-291.21/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If a prospective donor has a <span class="dictionary">declaration</span> or an <span class="dictionary">advance health-care directive</span> and the terms of the <span class="dictionary">declaration</span> or directive and the express or implied terms of a potential anatomical gift are in conflict with regard to the administration of measures necessary to ensure the medical suitability of a part for transplantation or therapy, the prospective donor&#x2019;s attending physician and the prospective donor shall confer to resolve the conflict. If the prospective donor is incapable of resolving the conflict, an agent acting under the prospective donor&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">declaration</span> or directive, or, if there is no <span class="dictionary">declaration</span> or directive, or the agent is not reasonably available, another <span class="dictionary">person</span> authorized by <span class="dictionary">law</span> other than this Act, to make <span class="dictionary">health care decisions</span> on behalf of the prospective donor, shall act for the donor to resolve the conflict. The conflict shall be resolved as expeditiously as possible. Information relevant to the resolution of the conflict may be obtained from the appropriate procurement organization and any other <span class="dictionary">person</span> authorized to make an anatomical gift for the prospective donor under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Who may make anatomical gift of decedent's body or part" href="/32.1-291.9/">32.1-291.9</a>. Before resolution of the conflict, measures necessary to ensure the medical suitability of an organ for transplantation or therapy may not be withheld or withdrawn from the prospective donor if withholding or withdrawing the measures is not contraindicated by appropriate end-of-life care. <a id="paragraph-291769" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/32.1-291.21/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2007, cc. 92, 907; 2008, c. 82.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
