Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§274i Eligibility requirements for Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Medal

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES › Part Part H–1— - Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Medal › § 274i

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If money is available, any organ donor or the donor’s family can get a Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Medal. The Health and Human Services Secretary must have the group that runs the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network set up an application process. The local organ procurement group must send proof of the donation. The network will check the proof (and investigate if needed) and send the medals made under the law to the local group for delivery. Normally one medal is given per family to the donating family member or, if the donor died, to the person who authorized the donation. If more than one family member donated, each donor can get a medal.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §274i

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Subject to the provisions of this section and the availability of funds under this part, any organ donor, or the family of any organ donor, shall be eligible for a Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Medal (hereafter in this part referred to as a “medal”).

(b)The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall direct the entity operating the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to—

(1)establish an application procedure requiring the relevant organ procurement organization through which an individual or family of the individual made an organ donation, to submit to such entity documentation supporting the eligibility of the individual or the family, respectively, to receive a medal;

(2)determine through the documentation provided and, if necessary, independent investigation whether the individual or family, respectively, is eligible to receive such a medal; and

(3)arrange for the presentation to the relevant organ procurement organization all medals struck pursuant to section 274i–2 of this title to individuals or families that are determined to be eligible to receive medals.

(c)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), only 1 medal may be presented to a family under subsection (b). Such medal shall be presented to the donating family member, or in the case of a deceased donor, the family member who signed the consent form authorizing, or who otherwise authorized, the donation of the organ involved.

(2)In the case of a family in which more than 1 member is an organ donor, a medal may be presented for each such organ donor.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 274i

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73