[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 45 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 45

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the importance of organ, 
 tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation and supporting National Donor 
                                  Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2003

Mr. Miller of Florida (for himself and Mr. Davis of Illinois) submitted 
    the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the importance of organ, 
 tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation and supporting National Donor 
                                  Day.

Whereas more than 80,000 individuals await organ transplants at any given 
        moment;
Whereas another man, woman, or child is added to the national organ transplant 
        waiting list every 20 minutes;
Whereas an average of over 66 people receive a transplant every day for a total 
        of more than 24,000 each year;
Whereas despite the progress in recent decades, more than 17 people per day die 
        because of a shortage of donor organs;
Whereas up to 30,000 people each year are diagnosed with leukemia or other blood 
        diseases and approximately 20,000 will not find a marrow donor match 
        within their family and must rely upon strangers;
Whereas nearly 32,000 units of blood are used in the United States every day and 
        blood supply reserves are often low since only 5 percent of the 
        population donates blood regularly;
Whereas almost everyone is a potential organ, tissue, bone marrow, and blood 
        donor;
Whereas transplantation has become an element of mainstream medicine that 
        prolongs and enhances life;
Whereas for the sixth consecutive year, a coalition of health and other 
        organizations is joining forces for National Donor Day, including the 
        American Association of Blood Banks, the American Liver Foundation, the 
        American Society of Transplant Surgeons, America's Blood Centers, the 
        Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, the Children's Organ 
        Transplant Association, the Coalition on Donation, the Emergency Nurses 
        Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International, the 
        Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, LifeSouth Community Blood 
        Centers, The Marrow Foundation, the National Kidney Foundation, the 
        National Marrow Donor Program, the National Minority Organ Tissue 
        Transplant Education Program, the Saturn Corporation, United Auto 
        Workers, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services;
Whereas the first five National Donor Days raised a total of nearly 37,000 units 
        of blood, added over 7,000 potential donors to the National Marrow Donor 
        Program Registry, and distributed tens of thousands of organ and tissue 
        pledge cards;
Whereas National Donor Day is America's largest annual one-day organ, tissue, 
        bone marrow, and blood donation event; and
Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services and a number of other 
        businesses, foundations, and health organizations have designated 
        February 14, 2003, as National Donor Day: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) supports the goals and ideas of National Donor Day;
            (2) encourages all Americans to learn about the importance 
        of organ, tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation and to 
        discuss such donation with their families and friends; and
            (3) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
        calling on the people of the United States to conduct 
        appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs to demonstrate 
        support for organ, tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation.
                                 <all>