[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 380 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 380

 Expressing support for designation of April as ``National Donate Life 
Month'' and expressing gratitude to all Americans who have communicated 
              their intent to be organ and tissue donors.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 29, 2009

Mr. Costa (for himself, Mr. Wu, Ms. Speier, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Bilbray, Ms. 
 DeGette, Mr. Clay, and Mr. Camp) submitted the following resolution; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing support for designation of April as ``National Donate Life 
Month'' and expressing gratitude to all Americans who have communicated 
              their intent to be organ and tissue donors.

Whereas the national waiting list for those awaiting organ transplants has 
        increased in the past 10 years from 60,000 to more than 100,000 people;
Whereas there exists a persistent and severe shortage of organs donated for 
        transplantation because donation has not increased at a pace to provide 
        transplantation for these people;
Whereas a single individual's donation of heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, 
        pancreas, and small intestine can save up to eight lives, and the 
        donation of tissue can save and enhance the lives of up to 50 others;
Whereas transplantation is the therapy of choice, and frequently the only 
        option, to ease patient suffering, restore patient health, and allow 
        patients to lead more productive lives;
Whereas modern medicine has progressed to allow exponentially more successful 
        transplant surgeries to be performed, but thousands of people still die 
        while on the waiting list each year for lack of organ donations;
Whereas in addition to public health concerns, there are also enormous savings 
        to the United States health care system that can be realized by 
        increasing organ donation and transplantation nationally; and
Whereas the month of April would be an appropriate month to designate as 
        ``National Donate Life Month'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of a ``National Donate Life 
        Month'';
            (2) expresses its support and gratitude to all Americans 
        who have communicated their intent to be organ and tissue 
        donors upon their deaths;
            (3) encourages those Americans who are not already donors 
        to consider their organ, blood and tissue donation options; and
            (4) supports the many public events that will be conducted 
        in April in every State to thank donors and donor families and 
        to publicize the organ shortage.
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