Sec. 19. (a) As used in this section, "cornea" includes corneal tissue.

(b) As used in this section, "decedent" means a person described in section 6(a)(1) through 6(a)(5) of this chapter.

(c) As used in this section, "eye bank" means a nonprofit corporation:

(1) organized under Indiana law;

(2) exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code; and

(3) whose purposes include obtaining, storing, and distributing corneas that are to be used for corneal transplants or for other medical or medical research purposes.

(d) If under section 6(e) of this chapter the coroner requires an autopsy to be performed upon a decedent, the coroner may authorize the removal of one (1) or both of the decedent's corneas for donation to an eye bank for transplantation, if the following conditions exist:

(1) The decedent's corneas are not necessary for successful completion of the autopsy.

(2) The decedent's corneas are not necessary for use as evidence.

(3) Removal of the decedent's corneas will not alter the postmortem facial appearance of the decedent.

(4) A representative of the eye bank, authorized by the trustees of the eye bank to make requests for corneas, has done the following:

(A) Within six (6) hours after the time of death, made a reasonable attempt to:

(i) contact any of the persons listed in the order of priority specified in IC 29-2-16.1-8; and

(ii) inform the person of the effect of the removal of the decedent's corneas on the physical appearance of the decedent.

(B) Submitted to the coroner:

(i) a written request for the donation by the coroner of corneas of the decedent subject to autopsy under section 6(e) of this chapter; and

(ii) a written certification that corneas donated under this section are intended to be used only for cornea transplant.

(5) The removal of the corneas and their donation to the eye bank will not alter a gift made by:

(A) the decedent when alive; or

(B) any of the persons listed in the order of priority specified in IC 29-2-16.1-8;

to an agency or organization other than the eye bank making the request for the donation.

(6) The coroner, at the time the removal and donation of a decedent's corneas is authorized, does not know of any objection to the removal and donation of the decedent's corneas made by:

(A) the decedent, as evidenced in a written document executed by the decedent when alive; or

(B) any of the persons listed in the order of priority specified in IC 29-2-16.1-8.

(e) A person, including a coroner and an eye bank and the eye bank's representatives, who exercises reasonable care in complying with subsection (d)(6) is immune from civil liability arising from cornea removal and donation allowed under this section.

(f) A person who authorizes the donation of a decedent's corneas may not be charged for the costs related to the donation. The recipient of the donation is responsible for the costs related to the donation.

As added by P.L.36-1993, SEC.6. Amended by P.L.147-2007, SEC.19; P.L.193-2018, SEC.5.