[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 19 (Monday, February 23, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S1461]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 305--DESIGNATING FEBRUARY 14, 2004, AS ``NATIONAL 
                              DONOR DAY''

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

                               S. Res. 305

       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.

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