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Uniform Anatomical Gift Act

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The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act ( UAGA ), and its periodic revisions, is one of the Uniform Acts drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL), also known as the Uniform Law Commission (ULC), in the United States with the intention of harmonizing state laws between the states .

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69-403: The UAGA governs organ donations for the purpose of transplantation . The Act permits any adult to become an organ donor. It also governs the making of anatomical gifts of one's cadaver to be dissected in the study of medicine . The law prescribes the forms by which such gifts can be made. It also provides that in the absence of such a document, a surviving spouse , or if there is no spouse,

138-636: A felony punishable by a fine or prison to falsify, deface, or destroy organ donor documentation of another. Many states have drafted and enacted their own updated versions of the UAGA based on the revisions of 2006. In the United States, all states have enacted some version of the UAGA. States have the authority to use the Uniform Anatomical Gift Acts as a template to put additional revisions into law depending on what best fits

207-461: A will or other advance directive , or in any other manner, simplifying the consent process. This is also known as "opting in" to organ donation. In some states, one may register to become an organ donor online on a state's Donor Registry website, and an individual is permitted to choose which organs they wish to donate by checking boxes. An important addition to the UAGA of 2006 was the strengthening of certain language regarding one's right to make

276-526: A Chief Coroner (or Chief Medical Examiner) and comprise coroners or medical examiners appointed by the executive council . The provinces of Alberta , Manitoba , Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador now have a Medical Examiner system, meaning that all death investigations are conducted by specialist physicians trained in Forensic Pathology , with the assistance of other medical and law enforcement personnel. All other provinces run on

345-411: A body part or organ as property because of the ability of a living individual to gift parts of their body to another individual. Another major statement that this revised version of the UAGA made was that a coroner's investigation or an autopsy could not be obstructed by an individual's wish for organ donation. The 1987 UAGA regulated organs for the purposes of transplantation or therapy. In addition,

414-517: A cause of death. Some coroners are elected with others appointed. Some coroners hold office by virtue of holding another office. For example, in Nebraska, a county's district attorney is also the county's coroner. Similarly, in many counties in Texas, the justice of the peace may be in charge of death investigation. In yet other places, the sheriff may be the lawful coroner. In different jurisdictions

483-412: A coroner system. In Prince Edward Island , and Ontario , all coroners are, by law, physicians . In the other provinces and territories with a coroner system, namely British Columbia , Saskatchewan , Quebec , New Brunswick , Northwest Territories , Nunavut , and Yukon , coroners are not necessarily physicians but generally have legal, medical, or investigative backgrounds. The Coroner's Court

552-422: A dead body lying in the district of a coroner has a duty to report it to the coroner; failure to do so is an offence. This can include bodies brought into England or Wales . The coroner has a team of coroner's officers (previously often ex-police officers, but increasingly from a nursing or other paramedical background) who carry out the investigation on the coroner's behalf. A coroner's investigation may involve

621-476: A decision for themselves pertaining to consent of organ donation, making it harder for others to try to nullify one's wish to consent after their death. The only exception allowing an individual's consent to donate to be overridden is in the case of the death of a minor when parents or guardians may override the minor's consent. Language in the Act is also made more clear so that one cannot revoke an anatomical gift as

690-606: A high-profile inquest, such as those into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and the victims of the 2005 London bombings . Coronial services in Northern Ireland are broadly similar to those in England and Wales, including dealing with treasure trove cases under the Treasure Act 1996 . Northern Ireland has three coroners, who oversee the province as a whole. They are assisted by coroners' liaison officers and

759-546: A jury, as a check on the possible abuse of governmental power. Coroners also have a role in treasure cases. This role arose from the ancient duty of the coroner as a protector of the property of the Crown. It is now contained in the Treasure Act 1996 . This jurisdiction is no longer exercised by local coroners, but by specialist "coroners for treasure" appointed by the Chief Coroner. The coroner's former power to name

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828-526: A list of specific relatives in order of preference, can make the gift. It also seeks to limit the liability of health care providers who act on good faith representations that a deceased patient meant to make an anatomical gift. The Act also prohibits trafficking and trafficking in human organs for profit from donations for transplant or therapy. The UAGA provides a template for the legislation to adjust public policy and align it with developments in medical practice. Some states have their own version of

897-415: A medical officer. As of 2004 , of the 2,342 death investigation offices in the United States, 1,590 were coroners' offices, 82 of which served jurisdictions of more than 250,000 people. Qualifications for coroners are set by individual states and counties in the U.S. and vary widely. In many jurisdictions, little or no training is required, even though a coroner may overrule a forensic pathologist in naming

966-551: A notation on a driver's license . The first Uniform Anatomical Gift Act was created after the first successful heart transplant in 1967; the operation was performed by Dr. Christiaan Barnard . In 1968, Congress approved the UAGA and recommended that all states adopt it. The Act was the first legislation enacted by all states in United States to address the donation of organs , tissues , and eyes as gifts to someone who may be in need of an organ for survival. The UAGA

1035-793: A result of injuries or drugs. Two different death investigation systems have developed in Canada: the Coroner's system and the Medical Examiner's system. The Coroner's system is used in the majority of provinces and territories. It is a system that is centuries old and originated in Great Britain. It is found throughout the world in countries that were former British colonies, including Canada. The Medical Examiner's system (used in Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador)

1104-465: A set of questions posed by the coroner to himself or to the jury (as appropriate). Lawful killing includes lawful self-defence . There is no material difference between an accidental death conclusion and one of misadventure. Neglect cannot be a conclusion by itself. It must be part of another conclusion. A conclusion of neglect requires that there was a need for relevant care (such as nourishment, medical attention, shelter or warmth) identified, and there

1173-421: A simple review of the circumstances, ordering a post-mortem examination, or they may decide that an inquest is appropriate. When a person dies in the custody of the legal authorities (in police cells, or in prison ), an inquest must be held. In England, inquests are usually heard without a jury (unless the coroner wants one). However, a case in which a person has died under the control of central authority must have

1242-467: A small laurel or myrtle wreath (Lat. corona or serta ) on his head so that he might be accepted in glory in the afterlife. The use was already of ancient Greece and see e. g. Theophilus Christophorus Harles ( Bionis smyrnaei and Moschi syracusani quae supersunt etc. P. 40. Erlangen, 1780), who quotes Euripides, Clement of Alexandria, Chionus of Heraclea and others in this regard; see also James Claude Upshaw Downs: "The origin of official death investigation

1311-429: A suspect in the inquest conclusion and commit them for trial has been abolished. The coroner's conclusion sometimes is persuasive for the police and Crown Prosecution Service , but normally proceedings in the coroner's court are suspended until after the outcome of any criminal case is known. More usually, a coroner's conclusion is also relied upon in civil proceedings and insurance claims . The coroner commonly tells

1380-418: Is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death . The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within the coroner's jurisdiction. In medieval times, English coroners were Crown officials who held financial powers and conducted some judicial investigations in order to counterbalance

1449-506: Is a police officer with technical and scientific knowledge in the service of justice and a professional specialized in finding or providing so-called material evidence through the scientific analysis of traces produced and left in the commission of crimes", what, in case of the Physician-Legists (inserted in the aforementioned career), applies in relation to highly complex federal crimes involving corpses that need to be examined by

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1518-475: Is just over one century old and originated in the United States. Although there are some differences between the two systems, the ultimate goal of each is the same—to investigate certain deaths defined in their legislation and establish the identity of the deceased together with the cause of death and the manner of death. In 21st-century Canada the officer responsible for investigating all unnatural and natural unexpected, unexplained, or unattended deaths goes under

1587-485: Is no longer possible. Any medical coroner still in office will either have been appointed before 2013, or, exceptionally, will hold both medical and legal qualifications. Formerly, every justice of the High Court was ex officio a coroner for every district in England and Wales. This is no longer so; there are now no ex officio coroners. A senior judge is sometimes appointed ad hoc as a deputy coroner to undertake

1656-476: Is responsible to inquire into the causes and circumstances of some deaths. The Coroner is a judicial officer who has the power to: The Coroner makes orders after considering the pathologist's report. The Coroners Service is a network of Coroners situated across Ireland, usually covering areas based on Ireland's traditional counties. They are appointed by local authorities as independent experts and must be either qualified doctors or lawyers. Their primary function

1725-595: Is supervised by the Chief Coroner , a judge appointed by the Lord Chief Justice after consulting the Lord Chancellor. The Chief Coroner provides advice, guidance and training to coroners and aims to secure uniformity of practice throughout England and Wales. The post is currently part-time. The present Chief Coroner is Alexia Durran . England and Wales are divided into coroner districts by

1794-542: Is to investigate any sudden, unexplained, violent or unnatural death in order to allow a death certificate to be issued. Any death due to unnatural causes will require an inquest to be held. Two coronial services operate in New Zealand. The older one deals only with deaths before midnight of 30 June 2007 that remain under investigation. The new system operates under the Coroners Act 2006 , which: In Sri Lanka,

1863-553: Is traced to at least 44 B.C. with the Greek Physician Antistius's examination of Julius Caesar (Fisher 1993; Gawande 2001). The history of the office of coroner extends well over a millennium and has seen major evolution etc." ( Coroner and Medical Examiner in Handbook of Death and Dying ed. by Clifton D. Bryant. V. 1, p. 909. 2003.) Australian coroners are responsible for investigating and determining

1932-766: The Ministry of Justice appoints Inquirers into Sudden Deaths under the Code of Criminal Procedure to carry out an inquest into the death of a sudden, unexpected and suspicious nature. Some large cities such as Colombo and Kandy have a City Coroners' Court attached to the main city hospital, with a Coroner and Additional Coroner. In the United Kingdom a coroner is a specialist judge. Whilst coroners are appointed and paid by local authorities , they are not employees of those local authorities but rather independent judicial office holders who can be removed from office only by

2001-499: The U.S. Virgin Islands , Utah , Virginia , Washington , and Wisconsin . In 2006, The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act was revised with three main goals: motivating more of the population to make anatomical gifts , making honoring an individual's wishes to donate a priority, and maintaining the current organ donation and transplantation system in the United States. It also has the purpose of setting rules and guidelines for determining

2070-477: The procurator fiscal and dealt with by fatal accident inquiries conducted by the sheriff for the area. The coroner's jurisdiction is limited to determining who the deceased was and how, when and where they came by their death. When the death is suspected to have been either sudden with unknown cause, violent, or unnatural, the coroner decides whether to hold a post-mortem examination and, if necessary, an inquest . The majority of deaths are not investigated by

2139-522: The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) with at least five years' qualified experience. This reflects the role of a coroner: to determine the cause of death of a deceased in cases where the death was sudden, unexpected, occurred abroad, was suspicious in any way, or happened while the person was under the control of central authority (e.g., in police custody ). Until 2013 a qualified medical practitioner could be appointed, but that

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2208-609: The Crown, derived from the French couronne and Latin corona , meaning "crown". The office of the coroner dates from approximately the 11th century, shortly after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The office of coroner was established by lex scripta in Richard I 's England. In September 1194, it was decreed by Article 20 of the " Articles of Eyre " to establish the office of custos placitorum coronae ( Latin for "keeper of

2277-706: The Forensic Medicine and Dentistry Sector linked to the National Institute of Criminalistics. Throughout the federative units , the Civil Polices (in Federal District and other 8 States ) or Scientific Polices (in all other 18 States) disposes of their own Legal-Medical Institutes (mainly responsible for confirming the authorship, dynamics and materiality of offenses involving living beings or their respective corpses) and, with

2346-414: The Lord Chancellor, each district consisting of the area or areas of one or more local authorities. The relevant local authority, with the consent of the Chief Coroner and the Lord Chancellor, must appoint a senior coroner for the district. It must also appoint area coroners (in effect deputies to the senior coroner) and assistant coroners, to the number that the Lord Chancellor considers necessary in view of

2415-676: The Lord Chief Justice and the Lord Chancellor. The Ministry of Justice , which is headed by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice , is responsible for coronial law and policy. However it has no operational responsibility for the running of coroners' courts. There are separate coroners services for England and Wales and for Northern Ireland . There are no longer coroners in Scotland. Coroners existed in Scotland between about 1400 and 1800 when they ceased to be used. Now deaths requiring judicial examination are reported to

2484-508: The U.S., the coroner has the authority to arrest the county sheriff or assume their duties under certain circumstances. For example, in Indiana, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Ohio, Alabama, and North Carolina, statutes grant coroners these powers, serving as a check on the sheriff's authority. In Ohio, the coroner can assume the sheriff’s duties if the sheriff is incapacitated or otherwise unable to act. Duties always include determining

2553-666: The UAGA which is an updated version of the Uniform laws already enacted throughout the United States. There were three versions of the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act that were enacted; the first was the UAGA of 1968, which was followed up with revisions in 1987. The most recent version was created in 2006. The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act has been established in some form, in every state and the District of Columbia (D.C.) , as of 2017. The law has been revised to make

2622-492: The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 2006 is the rule of making transplantation or therapy prioritized over research or education with an anatomical gift when a donor's wishes are unclearly stated in documentation. The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 2006 clarifies words written in the law that formerly were ambiguous and confusing such as: anatomical gift, record, refusal, guardian, prospective donor, reasonably available, and disinterested witness. The UAGA revision of 2006 makes it

2691-625: The case of medical examiners , such activity has always been privative to physicians , but necessarily policeful , reason why its common denomination, Médicos-Legistas (Physician-Legists), is due to such bionicity. In the Department of Federal Police , according to the National Association of Federal Forensic Experts ( Associação Nacional dos Peritos Criminais Federais – APCF ), "the Federal Forensic Expert

2760-485: The cause is unknown, where a death is the result of poisoning or industrial injury, or if it occurred in police custody or prison. The coroner's court is a court of law , and accordingly the coroner may summon witnesses. Those found to be lying are guilty of perjury . Additional powers of the coroner may include the power of subpoena and attachment , the power of arrest , the power to administer oaths , and sequester juries of six during inquests. Any person aware of

2829-491: The cause of death for those cases reported to them. In all states and territories, a coroner is a magistrate with legal training, and is attached to a local court. Five states – New South Wales , Queensland , South Australia , Victoria and Western Australia – also have state coroners and specialised coronial courts. In Tasmania , the Chief Magistrate also acts as the state coroner. In Brazil, almost like in

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2898-449: The cause, time and manner of death. The coroner/ME typically uses the same investigatory skills of a police detective because the answers are available from the circumstances, scene, and recent medical records. Many American jurisdictions require that any death not certified by an attending physician be referred to the medical examiner for the location where the death occurred. Only a small percentage of deaths require an autopsy to determine

2967-408: The coroner's jurisdiction. A coroner's office typically maintains death records of those who have died within the coroner's jurisdiction. The additional roles that a coroner may oversee in judicial investigations may be subject to the attainment of suitable legal and medical qualifications. The qualifications required of a coroner vary significantly between jurisdictions and are described below under

3036-420: The coroner. If the deceased has been under medical care, or has been seen by a doctor within 14 days of death, then the doctor can issue a death certificate. However, if the deceased died without being seen by a doctor, or if the doctor is unwilling to make a determination, the coroner will investigate the cause and manner of death. The coroner will also investigate when a death is deemed violent or unnatural, where

3105-480: The county records became an independent office, which after 1836 was held by the lord-lieutenant of each county. The person who found a body from a death thought sudden or unnatural was required to raise the " hue and cry " and to notify the coroner. While coronial manuals written for sheriffs, bailiffs, justices of the peace and coroners were published in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, handbooks specifically written for coroners were distributed in England in

3174-431: The creation of a written document with two witnesses ; the latest version of the statute eliminates the requirement of the witnesses. Medical examiners and medical professionals who cared for a patient upon their death were previously permitted to remove a part of a body if there was no known next of kin , or if the body was unidentified. This change is to encourage the practice of allowing an anatomical gift to be made by

3243-406: The donor's decision is final. This revised UAGA additionally created legislation allowing certain people to make an anatomical gift to another person while the donating individual is still alive. It is stated that it's the duty of law enforcement officers , firefighters , paramedics , and other emergency personnel to search for the records of donor consent upon death. Another significant addition to

3312-454: The eighteenth century. Coroners were introduced into Wales following its military conquest by Edward I of England in 1282 through the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284. Going further back in time, we find that the term comes from antiquity, namely when the deceased was entrusted to the coronator , that is to a necrofor who prepared the corpse according to custom and, among other things, put

3381-419: The entry for each jurisdiction. Coroners, medical examiners and forensic pathologists are different professions. They have different roles and responsibilities. The office of coroner originated in medieval England and has been adopted in many countries whose legal systems have at some time been subject to English or United Kingdom law . In Middle English, the word "coroner" referred to an officer of

3450-440: The exception of Paraná , the Physician-Legists constitute a police career of their own. According to Statistics Canada , Death investigation is the responsibility of each individual Canadian province and territory—there is no overarching federal authority. As a result, each province and territory has developed their own system and legislation to fulfill the mandate of investigating deaths that are unexpected, unexplained, or as

3519-473: The highly publicized court case In re Matter of Daniel Thomas Christy in Iowa, regarding the right to retrieve reproductive cells ( posthumous sperm retrieval ) from a deceased spouse or partner. The argument against the retrieval of post mortem gametes in this case was that the UAGA stated the purposes of donation were for transplantation, therapy, research, or education. Since the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act

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3588-444: The individual's wishes to donate were prioritized over the family's or next of kin's wishes. Hospitals were authorized to retrieve organs if an individual was found to have documentation of consenting. The Act's revisions were enacted by 26 states: Alabama , Arizona , Arkansas , California , Hawaii , Idaho , Indiana , Iowa , Minnesota , Montana , Nevada , New Hampshire , New Mexico , North Dakota , Oregon , Rhode Island ,

3657-413: The jury which conclusions are lawfully available in a particular case. The most common short-form conclusions include: Alternatively, an inquest may return a narrative conclusion , a brief statement explaining the circumstances how the person came about their death. A coroner giving a narrative conclusion may choose to refer to the other conclusion. A narrative conclusion may also consist of answers to

3726-451: The medical examiner does not need any medical or educational qualifications. Not all U.S. jurisdictions use a coroner system for medicolegal death investigation—some operate with only a medical examiner system, while others operate on a mixed coroner–medical examiner system. In the U.S., the terms "coroner" and "medical examiner" vary widely in meaning by jurisdiction, as do qualifications and duties for these offices. Advocates have promoted

3795-442: The medical examiner model as more accurate given the more stringent qualifications. Local laws define the deaths a coroner must investigate. The most often legally required investigation is for sudden or unexpected deaths, in addition to deaths where no attending physician was present. Additionally, the law often requires investigations for deaths that are suspicious (as defined by jurisdiction) or violent. In several states across

3864-464: The physical character and population of the district. The cost of the coroner service for the district falls upon the local authority or authorities concerned, and thus ultimately upon the local inhabitants. There are 98 coroners in England and Wales, covering 109 local authority areas. To become a coroner in England and Wales the applicant must be a qualified solicitor , barrister , or a Fellow of

3933-420: The pleas of the Crown"), from which the word "coroner" is derived. This role provided a local county official whose primary duty was to protect the financial interest of the Crown in criminal proceedings. The office of coroner is, "in many instances, a necessary substitute: for if the sheriff is interested in a suit, or if he is of affinity with one of the parties to a suit, the coroner must execute and return

4002-425: The power of sheriffs or bailiffs . Depending on the jurisdiction, the coroner may adjudge the cause of death personally, or may act as the presiding officer of a special court (a " coroner's jury "). The term coroner derives from the same source as the word crown . Responsibilities of the coroner may include overseeing the investigation and certification of deaths related to mass disasters that occur within

4071-536: The process of making an anatomical gift more streamlined, and to promote organ donation to citizens in order to address the high demand for donated organs for transplantation. The demand for donated organs is extremely high due to the fact that a large number of people die while waiting for an organ transplant in the United States. As of 2016, there were fewer registered organ donors than people in need of an organ or tissue transplant. Formerly, anatomical gifts had to be executed with testamentary formalities, including

4140-514: The process of the courts of justice." This role was qualified in Chapter 24 of Magna Carta in 1215, which states: "No sheriff, constable, coroner or bailiff shall hold pleas of our Crown." "Keeping the pleas" was an administrative task, while "holding the pleas" was a judicial one that was not assigned to the locally resident coroner but left to judges who traveled around the country holding assize courts . The role of custos rotulorum or keeper of

4209-405: The purposes that one had for choosing to make a gift as well as the purpose of the gift of an organ, eye, or tissue itself. The UAGA was revised to accommodate the developments in medicine and science regarding organ donation and transplantation, as well as the regulations of donation and transplantation with the goal of increasing the supply of gifted organs . The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 2006

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4278-405: The state's needs. The UAGA does not specify regulations for organ donation by a prisoner or prohibit an inmate from donating their body or an organ. Christian Longo , a convicted murderer , has played a key role in rousing public debate regarding the rights of the incarcerated to become organ donors. The retrieval of gametes from the deceased have been the subject of controversy because of

4347-465: The terms "coroner" and " medical examiner " are defined differently. In some places, stringent rules require that the medical examiner be a forensic pathologist. In others, the medical examiner must be a physician, though not necessarily a pathologist nor further specialized forensic pathologist; physicians with no experience in forensic medicine have become medical examiners. In other jurisdictions, such as Wisconsin, each county sets standards, and in some,

4416-476: The title "coroner" or "medical examiner" depending on location. They do not determine civil or criminal responsibility, but instead make and offer recommendations to improve public safety and prevention of death in similar circumstances. Coroner or Medical Examiner services are under the jurisdiction of provincial or territorial governments, and in modern Canada generally operate within the public safety and security or justice portfolio. These services are headed by

4485-437: Was a uniform manner of obtaining consent from individuals. At this time, every state enacted at least some part of the UAGA. The provisions of the UAGA of 1968 would ban the purchase and sale of body parts, facilitate the simplified process of obtaining authorization to retrieve organs, and ensure that medical staff establish procedures and guidelines to identify organ donors while under hospital care. The Act also characterized

4554-471: Was an opportunity to offer or provide that care that was not taken. An open conclusion should only be used as a last resort and is given where the cause of death cannot be identified on the evidence available to the inquest. Conclusions are arrived at on the balance of probabilities ; prior to 2020, conclusions of suicide or unlawful killing were required to be proved to the criminal standard of beyond reasonable doubt. The coroner service in England and Wales

4623-408: Was drafted in order to increase organ and blood supplies and donation and to protect patients in the United States. It replaced numerous state laws concerning transplantation and laws lacking a uniform procedure of organ donation and an inadequate process of becoming a donor. All states adopted the original version of the law. In 1987, the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 1968 was revised so that there

4692-528: Was put into effect in all states, there still has been a donor shortage in the United States. Organ donation Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 209366728 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:55:28 GMT Coroner A coroner

4761-400: Was revised to make the laws governing anatomical gifts more uniform between states that had enacted and continued to enforce the UAGA of 1968 and ones that had enacted the revised UAGA of 1987, leading to more consistency. The UAGA of 2006 allows for individuals to consent to organ donation by expressing their wish when obtaining a driver's license , through verbal expression, by writing it in

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