Texas Passes New Law to Stop Health Benefit Plan Coverage of Organ Transplant in China

Texas SB1040 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature

Click HERE to read the Bill.

The Texas state legislature has passed a bipartisan bill relating to health benefit plan coverage of a transplant of an organ that originated from or is transplanted in a country known to have participated in forced organ harvesting.

The Act included amendments to define forced organ harvesting, applicable types of health benefit plans, and the prohibition of a health benefit plan issuer in covering a human organ transplant or post-transplant care if the transplant operation is performed, or if the human organ to be transplanted was procured by
a sale or donation originating in China or another country known to have participated in forced organ harvesting.

The bill noted the following:

It is the intent of the legislature that this Act:
(1) combat the practice of forcibly harvesting organs from living persons for transplant without free, voluntary consent;
(2) bring awareness to China’s state-sanctioned practice of forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience and other vulnerable persons, including Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, and House Church Christians; and
(3) curb illicit transplant tourism and prevent residents of this state from unknowingly involving themselves in forced organ harvesting.

This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.

For more information on the bill, visit the following links: