Title 32.1. Health
Chapter 8. Postmortem Examinations and Services
§ 32.1-291.21. Effect of anatomical gift on advance health-care directive.
A. In this section:
"Advance health-care directive" means an advance directive executed by a prospective donor as provided in the Health Care Decisions Act (§ 54.1-2981 et seq.).
"Declaration" 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record signed by a prospective donor specifying the circumstances under which a life support system may be withheld or withdrawn from the prospective donor.
"Health care decision" means any decision regarding the health care of the prospective donor.
B. If a prospective donor has a declaration or an advance health-care directive and the terms of the declaration 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'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's declaration or directive, or, if there is no declaration or directive, or the agent is not reasonably available, another person authorized by law other than this Act, to make health care decisions 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 person authorized to make an anatomical gift for the prospective donor under § 32.1-291.9. 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measures necessary to ensure the medical suitability of an organ for transplantation or therapy may not be withheld or withdrawn from the prospective donor if withholding or withdrawing the measures is not contraindicated by appropriate end-of-life care.