[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 305 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







 108th CONGRESS
   2d Session
 S. RES. 305

       Designating February 14, 2004, as ``National Donor Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 23, 2004

  Mr. Nelson of Florida submitted the following resolution; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
       Designating February 14, 2004, as ``National Donor Day''.

Whereas National Donor Day is the largest annual 1-day lifesaving donation drive 
        in the United States;
Whereas almost everyone is a potential organ, tissue, bone marrow, or blood 
        donor;
Whereas at any given moment more than 80,000 people of the United States await a 
        lifesaving organ transplant;
Whereas each day about 68 individuals receive an organ transplant, but another 
        18 individuals on the waiting list die because not enough organs are 
        available;
Whereas of the nearly 30,000 people of the United States diagnosed each year 
        with life-threatening diseases that are potentially treatable by marrow 
        or blood stem cell transplants, \2/3\ will not find a donor match within 
        their family;
Whereas blood transfusions save 10,000 people of the United States every day;
Whereas although 60 percent of the people of the United States are eligible to 
        donate blood, only 5 percent do;
Whereas the first 6 celebrations of National Donor Day informed millions of 
        individuals across the United States of the need for organ and tissue 
        donors;
Whereas as a result of past National Donor Day education efforts, more than 
        8,000 potential marrow and blood stem cell donors were added to the 
        National Marrow Donor Program Registry and approximately 48,000 units of 
        blood were collected; and
Whereas the following organizations are all partners in the National Donor Day 
        efforts: 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 Research Foundation 
        International; the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; LifeSouth Community 
        Blood Centers; the Marrow Foundation; the National Kidney Foundation; 
        the National Marrow Donor Program; the National Minority Open Tissue 
        Transplant Education Program; Saturn Corporation; United Auto Workers; 
        and the Department of Health and Human Services: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates February 14, 2004, as ``National Donor 
        Day'';
            (2) supports the goals and ideals of National Donor Day;
            (3) urges everyone to learn about organ, tissue, bone 
        marrow, and blood donations, and discuss such donations with 
        their families and friends; and
            (4) 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 donations.
                                 <all>