The Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA) is a model state law that was approved for the
United States in 1981 by the
National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, in cooperation with the
American Medical Association, the
American Bar Association, and the
President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. The act has since been adopted by most US states and is intended "to provide a comprehensive and medically sound basis for determining
death in all situations". Brain death is a different condition than
persistent vegetative state. Due to better
seat belt
A seat belt (also known as a safety belt, or spelled seatbelt) is a vehicle safety device designed to secure the driver or a passenger of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result during a collision or a sudden stop. A seat belt reduc ...
use,
bicycle helmets, and the general decrease in violent crime, there are lower numbers of brain deaths now than historically. Donation after cardiac death (DCD) is a new protocol applied when there is severe neurologic injury but the patient does not meet the criteria for brain death.
The three sections of the Act proposed for enactment read as follows.
Section 1
Determination of Death. An individual who has sustained either (1) irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, or (2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem, is dead. A determination of death must be made in accordance with accepted medical standards.
Section 2
Uniformity of Construction and Application. This Act shall be applied and construed to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law with respect to the subject of this Act among states enacting it.
Enactments
the act has been adopted by 37 states, plus
D.C. and the
Virgin Islands: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Revision
the Uniform Death Act is under revision by the
Uniform Law Commission, with a draft expected to be completed by 2023.
See also
*
List of Uniform Acts (United States)
References
{{Reflist
External links
Maine's Codification of this ActNCCUSL Home Page
1981 in American law
Determination of Death