QC-194: Bill 194: An Act to establish a presumption of consent to organ or tissue donation after death

This bill primarily affects healthcare providers, hospitals, and organ and tissue coordination organizations operating in Quebec rather than typical commercial businesses. Medical professionals and transplant coordinators will need to update their intake and verification procedures to check that a deceased person had not registered a refusal before proceeding — except in urgent life-saving situations. Notaries in Quebec will see changes to how they register and disclose donor consent and refusal records, adding a new category of refusal documentation to their existing registry functions. The Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec and bodies that coordinate organ donations will need to update their forms, notices, and information-sharing processes to reflect the new presumed-consent framework.