[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 201 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 201

 Recognizing the importance for families to pledge to each other to be 
                        organ and tissue donors.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 8, 1999

  Mr. Bilbray (for himself and Mr. Greenwood) submitted the following 
      resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the importance for families to pledge to each other to be 
                        organ and tissue donors.

Whereas more than 20,000 Americans are given a new chance at life each year 
        through the medical miracle of organ transplantation;
Whereas the number of Americans who could benefit from a transplant is growing 
        by more than 10 percent per year;
Whereas 63,000 men, women, and children are currently on waiting lists for 
        lifesaving organ transplants;
Whereas another man, woman, or child is added to a waiting list every 16 
        minutes;
Whereas the number of Americans on waiting lists is expected to pass 100,000 
        early in the 21st century;
Whereas every two hours, one American on the waiting list dies for lack of an 
        available heart, lung, intestine, kidney, pancreas, or liver;
Whereas fewer than one-third of the deaths that could result in the gift of 
        organs actually result in donation;
Whereas even when individuals have indicated a desire to be a donor, those 
        wishes often go unfulfilled;
Whereas checking the organ donation box on a driver's license does not guarantee 
        organ donation;
Whereas the final decision on whether to donate organs is always made by 
        surviving family members;
Whereas the American Society of Transplant Surgeons is urging Americans to 
        discuss the miracle of transplantation as a family, and make a family 
        commitment to organ and tissue donation;
Whereas the likelihood of a family member needing to receive an organ transplant 
        is four times greater than the likelihood that circumstances ever will 
        put a family member in a position to be an organ donor;
Whereas a majority of the Members of both the House of Representatives and the 
        Senate, have demonstrated leadership by signing the First Family Pledge, 
        a family commitment to support organ and tissue donation; and
Whereas organizations, such as the First Family Pledge and Coalition on 
        Donation, have demonstrated great leadership by raising the awareness 
        and the importance of organ donations through events such as the First 
        Family Pledge Congress on Organ Tissue Donation held in Washington, 
        D.C., on April 14, 1999: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the importance of families pledging to each 
        other to share their lives as organ and tissue donors; and
            (2) acknowledges the importance of discussing organ and 
        tissue donation as a family.
                                 <all>