[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1435 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1435
To amend the Public Health Service Act to promote awareness of organ
donation and the need to increase the pool of available organs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 21, 2015
Mr. Casey introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to promote awareness of organ
donation and the need to increase the pool of available organs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Organ Donation Awareness and
Promotion Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) In May 2015, over 123,400 individuals were on the
official waiting list for organ donation managed by the Organ
Procurement and Transplantation Network.
(2) In 2014, the most recent year for which complete data
are available, 14,413 individuals became organ donors leading
to 29,531 transplants, while 6,198 individuals died while
waiting for a transplant.
(3) On average, 21 people die every day of every year while
waiting for an organ donation.
(4) Over 100,000,000 people in the United States are
registered to be organ and tissue donors, yet the demand for
donated organs still outweighs the supply of organs made
available each day.
(5) Many people do not know about their options for organ
and tissue donation, or have not made their wishes clear to
their families.
(6) Organ and tissue donation can give meaning to the
tragic loss of a loved one by enabling up to eight people to
receive the gift of life from a single deceased donor.
(7) Living donors can donate a kidney or a portion of a
lung or liver to save the life of another individual.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Public Awareness of Need for Organ Donation.--It is the sense
of Congress that the Federal Government should carry out programs to
educate the public with respect to organ donation, including the need
to provide for an adequate rate of such donations.
(b) Family Discussions of Organ Donations.--It is the sense of
Congress that individuals pledging to share their lives as organ and
tissue donors should be honored, and the importance of discussing an
individual's wishes regarding organ and tissue donation with family
members should be encouraged.
(c) Deceased Donations of Organs.--It is the sense of Congress to--
(1) recognize the generous gift of life provided by
individuals who indicate their wish to become organ donors;
(2) acknowledge the grief of families facing the loss of a
loved one; and
(3) commend those families who, in their grief, choose to
donate the organs of their deceased family member.
(d) Living Donations of Organs.--It is the sense of Congress to--
(1) recognize the generous contribution made by each living
individual who has donated an organ to save a life;
(2) acknowledge the advances in medical technology that
have enabled organ transplantation with organs donated by
living individuals to become a viable treatment option for an
increasing number of patients; and
(3) commend the medical professionals and organ
transplantation experts who have worked to improve the process
of living organ donation and increase the number of living
donors.
SEC. 4. ORGAN DONATION PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAM, STUDIES AND
DEMONSTRATIONS.
Section 377A of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 274f-1) is
amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 377A. PUBLIC AWARENESS; STUDIES AND DEMONSTRATIONS.
``(a) Organ Donation Public Awareness Program.--The Secretary
shall, directly or through grants or contracts, establish a public
education program in cooperation with existing national public
awareness campaigns to increase awareness about organ donation and the
need to provide for an adequate rate of such donations.
``(b) Studies and Demonstrations.--The Secretary may make peer-
reviewed grants to, or enter into peer-reviewed contracts with, public
and nonprofit private entities for the purpose of carrying out studies
and demonstration projects to increase organ donation and recovery
rates, including living donation.
``(c) Grants to States.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may make grants to States
for the purpose of assisting States in carrying out organ donor
awareness, public education, and outreach activities and
programs designed to increase the number of organ donors within
the State, including living donors.
``(2) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this subsection, a State shall--
``(A) submit an application to the Department in
the form prescribed;
``(B) establish yearly benchmarks for improvement
in organ donation rates in the State; and
``(C) report to the Secretary on an annual basis a
description and assessment of the State's use of funds
received under this subsection, accompanied by an
assessment of initiatives for potential replication in
other States.
``(3) Use of funds.--Funds received under this subsection
may be used by the State, or in partnership with other public
agencies or private sector institutions, for education and
awareness efforts, information dissemination, activities
pertaining to the State donor registry, and other innovative
donation specific initiatives, including living donation.
``(d) Educational Activities.--The Secretary, in coordination with
the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and other appropriate
organizations, shall support the development and dissemination of
educational materials to inform health care professionals and other
appropriate professionals in issues surrounding organ, tissue, and eye
donation including evidence-based proven methods to approach patients
and their families, cultural sensitivities, and other relevant issues.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated--
``(1) for the Organ Donation Public Awareness Program under
subsection (a), $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015
through 2019;
``(2) for the studies and demonstrations under subsection
(b), $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019;
``(3) for the grants to States under subsection (c),
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019; and
``(4) for the educational activities under subsection (d),
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019.''.
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