AP passes amendment bill to bridge organ gap and curb trafficking

What Happened

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the A.P. Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Bill, 2026 with the aim of reducing the mismatch between organ demand and supply and tightening controls on trafficking in the state.

Why It Matters

The bill sits within a legal framework that ties the state act to the central Transplantation of Human Organs Act and its 2011 amendments, which broadened the scope to include human tissues and expanded donor eligibility within a near-relative framework. The amendments also introduced swap donations and tightened safeguards for vulnerable groups, reflecting ongoing efforts to align organ transplantation policies with evolving medical ethics and international norms. By updating the state law, the government signals a continued push to improve transplantation access while reducing illicit activity around organ procurement.

Background

Historically, the state act from 1995 was designed to align with the central Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994. The 2011 amendments expanded the law to cover tissues such as skin, cornea, heart valves, tendons and bone marrow, and renamed the act to cover organs and tissues. Those amendments broadened the definition of near relatives to include grandparents and grandchildren to widen the pool of potential living donors and introduced swap donations between two incompatible donor–recipient pairs. They also tightened safeguards against organ removal from mentally challenged individuals and restricted donations from minors. The amendments addressed international considerations by requiring approval for foreign nationals and restricting donations by Indian nationals to foreigners unless they are near relatives. When brain death certification could not rely on specialized neurologists, independent practitioners could be nominated to avoid delays, provided they were not part of the transplant team.

Key Facts

• The bill passed in August 2026 in Andhra Pradesh.
• The bill is titled A.P. Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
• The act it amends is the AP Transplantation of Human Organs Act of 1995, aligned with the Central Act of 1994.
• The 2011 central amendments expanded to include human tissues and renamed the framework to Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act.
• Near-relative donor provisions were broadened to include grandparents and grandchildren.
• Swap donations were introduced to enable two incompatible donor–recipient pairs to swap donors.
• Safeguards were tightened: no organ/tissue removal from mentally challenged persons; donations from minors restricted.
• International provisions require Authorisation Committee approval for foreign nationals and limit Indian nationals donating to foreigners unless near relatives.
• Independent practitioners could be nominated for brain death certification if neurologists are unavailable, with restrictions on their transplant-team status.
• The publication timestamp for the decision was 08:04 pm IST on August 19, 2026.