Relating to the purchase or sale of human organs; increasing a criminal penalty.

Contracts

• Vendor/OPO Agreements: Immediate review required. Master Services Agreements with Organ Procurement Organizations and tissue banks must include strict representations and warranties that all tissues are obtained in compliance with Texas Penal Code 48.02. Add immediate termination rights and uncapped indemnification for regulatory/criminal defense costs.
• Physician Employment Agreements: Amend "Termination for Cause" definitions to explicitly include "revocation of license under Occupations Code 164.0571" and "indictment for violation of Penal Code 48.02."

Hiring/Training

• Surgical "Time Out" Protocols: Update pre-operative checklists. The transplant team must verbally verify the organ's Chain of Custody documentation before anesthesia induction.
• Procurement Staff Training: Receiving staff must be trained on a "Hard Stop" policy: if the source documentation is incomplete or ambiguous, the organ cannot be accepted into inventory.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Chain of Custody Audit Trails: Facilities must maintain a granular audit trail linking the specific patient ID to the donor source ID. This record must be retained for a minimum of 3 years (statute of limitations for State Jail Felonies), though 7 years is recommended for civil liability alignment.
• EHR Integration: Update Electronic Health Records to require a "Source Verification" field entry before a transplant procedure code can be finalized.

Fees & Costs

• Insurance Premiums: Expect scrutiny from malpractice carriers. Criminal acts are generally excluded from coverage; verify if your Directors & Officers (D&O) policy covers defense costs for regulatory investigations triggered by these charges.
• Legal Defense: No new state fees, but the cost of defending a felony charge or license revocation is substantial and likely uninsurable.