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.
The UAGA governs organ donations for the purpose of transplantation. It also governs the making of anatomical gifts of one's cadaver to be dissected in the study of medicine.
The UAGA provides a template for the legislation to adjust public policy and align it with developments in medical practice.
History
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 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. 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 Act also characterized a body part or organ as property because of the ability of a living individual to gift parts of their body to another individual.
The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 2006
Summary
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. 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.