§1263.3. Powers and duties

            The secretary shall:

            (1) Assist Louisiana residents in obtaining financial assistance or other grants to assist in paying for organ transplantation operations on Louisiana residents.

            (2) Establish and promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, for determining eligibility to the program and the amount of assistance.

            (3) Accept on behalf of the state any federal funds to assist in carrying out the provisions of this Part.

            (4) Accept on behalf of the state funds from any private source to assist in carrying out the provisions of this Part.

            (5)(a) Educate residents of the state about:

            (i) The need for bone marrow donors.

            (ii) The procedures required to become registered as a potential bone marrow donor, including the procedures for determining the person's tissue type.

            (iii) The medical procedures a donor must undergo to donate bone marrow or other sources of blood stem cells and the attendant risks of the procedure.

            (b) Make special efforts to educate and recruit minority populations to volunteer as potential bone marrow donors. Means of communication may include the use of the press, radio, and television, and placement of educational materials in appropriate health care facilities, blood banks, and state and local agencies. The secretary, in conjunction with the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, shall make educational materials available at all places where drivers' licenses are issued or renewed.

            Acts 1984, No. 849, §1; Acts 1992, No. 206, §1; Redesignated from R.S. 40:1299.123 by HCR 84 of 2015 R.S.