[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 37 (Tuesday, March 23, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H1335-H1339]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              ORGAN DONATION AND RECOVERY IMPROVEMENT ACT

  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 3926) to amend the Public Health Service Act to 
promote organ donation, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3926

       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 and Recovery 
     Improvement Act''.

     SEC. 2. 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.--Congress 
     recognizes the importance of families pledging to each other 
     to share their lives as organ and tissue donors and 
     acknowledges the importance of discussing organ and tissue 
     donation as a family.
       (c) Living Donations of Organs.--Congress--
       (1) recognizes the generous contribution made by each 
     living individual who has donated an organ to save a life; 
     and
       (2) acknowledges 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.

     SEC. 3. REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL AND SUBSISTENCE EXPENSES 
                   INCURRED TOWARD LIVING ORGAN DONATION.

       Section 377 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     274f) is amended to read as follows:

     ``SEC. 377. REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL AND SUBSISTENCE EXPENSES 
                   INCURRED TOWARD LIVING ORGAN DONATION.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may award grants to 
     States, transplant centers, qualified organ procurement 
     organizations under section 371, or other public or private 
     entities for the purpose of--
       ``(1) providing for the reimbursement of travel and 
     subsistence expenses incurred by individuals toward making 
     living donations of their organs (in this section referred to 
     as `donating individuals'); and
       ``(2) providing for the reimbursement of such incidental 
     nonmedical expenses that are so incurred as the Secretary 
     determines by regulation to be appropriate.
       ``(b) Preference.--The Secretary shall, in carrying out 
     subsection (a), give preference to those individuals that the 
     Secretary determines are more likely to be otherwise unable 
     to meet such expenses.
       ``(c) Certain Circumstances.--The Secretary may, in 
     carrying out subsection (a), consider--
       ``(1) the term `donating individuals' as including 
     individuals who in good faith incur qualifying expenses 
     toward the intended donation of an organ but with respect to 
     whom, for such reasons as the Secretary determines to be 
     appropriate, no donation of the organ occurs; and
       ``(2) the term `qualifying expenses' as including the 
     expenses of having relatives or other individuals, not to 
     exceed 2, accompany or assist the donating individual for 
     purposes of subsection (a) (subject to making payment for 
     only those types of expenses that are paid for a donating 
     individual).
       ``(d) Relationship to Payments Under Other Programs.--An 
     award may be made under subsection (a) only if the applicant 
     involved agrees that the award will not be expended to pay 
     the qualifying expenses of a donating individual to the 
     extent that payment has been made, or can reasonably be 
     expected to be made, with respect to such expenses--
       ``(1) under any State compensation program, under an 
     insurance policy, or under any Federal or State health 
     benefits program;
       ``(2) by an entity that provides health services on a 
     prepaid basis; or
       ``(3) by the recipient of the organ.
       ``(e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
       ``(1) The term `donating individuals' has the meaning 
     indicated for such term in subsection (a)(1), subject to 
     subsection (c)(1).
       ``(2) The term `qualifying expenses' means the expenses 
     authorized for purposes of subsection (a), subject to 
     subsection (c)(2).
       ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there is authorized to be 
     appropriated $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2005 
     through 2009.''.

     SEC. 4. PUBLIC AWARENESS; STUDIES AND DEMONSTRATIONS.

       Part H of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 273 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 377 
     the following:

     ``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.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, and such sums 
     as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 
     2009. Such authorization of appropriations is in addition to 
     any other authorizations of appropriations that are available 
     for such purpose.

     ``SEC. 377B. GRANTS REGARDING HOSPITAL ORGAN DONATION 
                   COORDINATORS.

       ``(a) Authority.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may award grants to 
     qualified organ procurement organizations and hospitals under 
     section 371 to establish programs coordinating organ donation 
     activities of eligible hospitals and qualified organ 
     procurement organizations under section 371. Such activities 
     shall be coordinated to increase the rate of organ donations 
     for such hospitals.
       ``(2) Eligible hospital.--For purposes of this section, the 
     term `eligible hospital' means a hospital that performs 
     significant trauma care, or a hospital or consortium of 
     hospitals that serves a population base of not fewer than 
     200,000 individuals.
       ``(b) Administration of Coordination Program.--A condition 
     for the receipt of a grant under subsection (a) is that the 
     applicant involved agree that the program under such 
     subsection will be carried out jointly--
       ``(1) by representatives from the eligible hospital and the 
     qualified organ procurement organization with respect to 
     which the grant is made; and
       ``(2) by such other entities as the representatives 
     referred to in paragraph (1) may designate.
       ``(c) Requirements.--Each entity receiving a grant under 
     subsection (a) shall--
       ``(1) establish joint organ procurement organization and 
     hospital designated leadership responsibility and 
     accountability for the project;
       ``(2) develop mutually agreed upon overall project 
     performance goals and outcome measures, including interim 
     outcome targets; and

[[Page H1336]]

       ``(3) collaboratively design and implement an appropriate 
     data collection process to provide ongoing feedback to 
     hospital and organ procurement organization leadership on 
     project progress and results.
       ``(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall 
     be construed to interfere with regulations in force on the 
     date of enactment of the Organ Donation and Recovery 
     Improvement Act.
       ``(e) Evaluations.--Within 3 years after the award of 
     grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure an 
     evaluation of programs carried out pursuant to subsection (a) 
     in order to determine the extent to which the programs have 
     increased the rate of organ donation for the eligible 
     hospitals involved.
       ``(f) Matching Requirement.--The Secretary may not award a 
     grant to a qualifying organ donation entity under this 
     section unless such entity agrees that, with respect to costs 
     to be incurred by the entity in carrying out activities for 
     which the grant was awarded, the entity shall contribute 
     (directly or through donations from public or private 
     entities) non-Federal contributions in cash or in kind, in an 
     amount equal to not less than 30 percent of the amount of the 
     grant awarded to such entity.
       ``(g) Funding.--For the purpose of carrying out this 
     section, there are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 
     for fiscal year 2005, and such sums as may be necessary for 
     each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009.''.

     SEC. 5. STUDIES RELATING TO ORGAN DONATION AND THE RECOVERY, 
                   PRESERVATION, AND TRANSPORTATION OF ORGANS.

       Part H of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 273 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 
     377B, as added by section 4, the following:

     ``SEC. 377C. STUDIES RELATING TO ORGAN DONATION AND THE 
                   RECOVERY, PRESERVATION, AND TRANSPORTATION OF 
                   ORGANS.

       ``(a) Development of Supportive Information.--The 
     Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for 
     Healthcare Research and Quality, shall develop scientific 
     evidence in support of efforts to increase organ donation and 
     improve the recovery, preservation, and transportation of 
     organs.
       ``(b) Activities.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
     Secretary shall--
       ``(1) conduct or support evaluation research to determine 
     whether interventions, technologies, or other activities 
     improve the effectiveness, efficiency, or quality of existing 
     organ donation practice;
       ``(2) undertake or support periodic reviews of the 
     scientific literature to assist efforts of professional 
     societies to ensure that the clinical practice guidelines 
     that they develop reflect the latest scientific findings;
       ``(3) ensure that scientific evidence of the research and 
     other activities undertaken under this section is readily 
     accessible by the organ procurement workforce; and
       ``(4) work in coordination with the appropriate 
     professional societies as well as the Organ Procurement and 
     Transplantation Network and other organ procurement and 
     transplantation organizations to develop evidence and promote 
     the adoption of such proven practices.
       ``(c) Research and Dissemination.--The Secretary, acting 
     through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research 
     and Quality, as appropriate, shall provide support for 
     research and dissemination of findings, to--
       ``(1) develop a uniform clinical vocabulary for organ 
     recovery;
       ``(2) apply information technology and telecommunications 
     to support the clinical operations of organ procurement 
     organizations;
       ``(3) enhance the skill levels of the organ procurement 
     workforce in undertaking quality improvement activities; and
       ``(4) assess specific organ recovery, preservation, and 
     transportation technologies.
       ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, and such sums 
     as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2006 through 
     2009.''.

     SEC. 6. REPORT RELATING TO ORGAN DONATION AND THE RECOVERY, 
                   PRESERVATION, AND TRANSPORTATION OF ORGANS.

       Part H of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 273 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 
     377C, as added by section 5, the following:

     ``SEC. 377D. REPORT RELATING TO ORGAN DONATION AND THE 
                   RECOVERY, PRESERVATION, AND TRANSPORTATION OF 
                   ORGANS.

       ``(a) In General.--Not later than December 31, 2005, and 
     every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall report to the 
     appropriate committees of Congress on the activities of the 
     Department carried out pursuant to this part, including an 
     evaluation describing the extent to which the activities have 
     affected the rate of organ donation and recovery.
       ``(b) Requirements.--To the extent practicable, each report 
     submitted under subsection (a) shall--
       ``(1) evaluate the effectiveness of activities, identify 
     effective activities, and disseminate such findings with 
     respect to organ donation and recovery;
       ``(2) assess organ donation and recovery activities that 
     are recently completed, ongoing, or planned; and
       ``(3) evaluate progress on the implementation of the plan 
     required under subsection (c)(5).
       ``(c) Initial Report Requirements.--The initial report 
     under subsection (a) shall include the following:
       ``(1) An evaluation of the organ donation practices of 
     organ procurement organizations, States, other countries, and 
     other appropriate organizations including an examination 
     across all populations, including those with low organ 
     donation rates, of--
       ``(A) existing barriers to organ donation; and
       ``(B) the most effective donation and recovery practices.
       ``(2) An evaluation of living donation practices and 
     procedures. Such evaluation shall include an assessment of 
     issues relating to informed consent and the health risks 
     associated with living donation (including possible reduction 
     of long-term effects).
       ``(3) An evaluation of--
       ``(A) federally supported or conducted organ donation 
     efforts and policies, as well as federally supported or 
     conducted basic, clinical, and health services research 
     (including research on preservation techniques and organ 
     rejection and compatibility); and
       ``(B) the coordination of such efforts across relevant 
     agencies within the Department and throughout the Federal 
     Government.
       ``(4) An evaluation of the costs and benefits of State 
     donor registries, including the status of existing State 
     donor registries, the effect of State donor registries on 
     organ donation rates, issues relating to consent, and 
     recommendations regarding improving the effectiveness of 
     State donor registries in increasing overall organ donation 
     rates.
       ``(5) A plan to improve federally supported or conducted 
     organ donation and recovery activities, including, when 
     appropriate, the establishment of baselines and benchmarks to 
     measure overall outcomes of these programs. Such plan shall 
     provide for the ongoing coordination of federally supported 
     or conducted organ donation and research activities.''.

     SEC. 7. NATIONAL LIVING DONOR MECHANISMS.

       Part H of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 273 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 371 
     the following:

     ``SEC. 371A. NATIONAL LIVING DONOR MECHANISMS.

       ``The Secretary may establish and maintain mechanisms to 
     evaluate the long-term effects associated with living organ 
     donations by individuals who have served as living donors.''.

     SEC. 8. STUDY.

       Not later than December 31, 2004, the Secretary of Health 
     and Human Services, in consultation with appropriate 
     entities, including advocacy groups representing those 
     populations that are likely to be disproportionately affected 
     by proposals to increase cadaveric donation, shall submit to 
     the appropriate committees of Congress a report that 
     evaluates the ethical implications of such proposals.

     SEC. 9. QUALIFIED ORGAN PROCUREMENT ORGANIZATIONS.

       Section 371(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     273(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (3).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Rogers) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers).


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on the bill, H.R. 3926.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3926, the Organ Donation and 
Recovery Improvement Act. This legislation, introduced by the 
Subcommittee on Health chairman, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Bilirakis), and I pause here for a moment, Mr. Speaker, to commend the 
gentleman from Florida's (Mr. Bilirakis) effort on this particular 
bill. He is such a distinguished Member of our body, respected by both 
sides of the aisle, and his compassion for those in need is 
unparalleled, and I would hope that we could note for the record his 
great effort in this particular cause.
  This bill reflects a great bipartisan effort and one that passed the 
Senate late last year. I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in 
supporting this important legislation.
  As most of us know, there is a great unmet need for donated organs 
and tissue right here in the United States. According to the United 
Network of Organ Sharing, there are 84,138 people who currently are 
waiting for transplant, while only 12,133 individuals had donated their 
organs between January and November of 2003; 23,387 individuals did 
receive a transplant within that

[[Page H1337]]

same time frame, but close to 6,000 individuals died while waiting on 
the list.
  H.R. 3926 responds to this public health crisis by effectively 
targeting our limited Federal resources towards areas we think will do 
the most good. This legislation authorizes the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services to award grants for the purposes of covering travel and 
subsistence expenses incurred by living organ donors. Hopefully, this 
assistance will help ensure that no potential living organ donor is 
prevented from donating simply because they cannot afford the 
associated travel costs.
  Additionally, H.R. 3926 includes a new grant program that will help 
to replace organ donation coordinators in hospitals and organ 
procurement organizations in an effort to increase donation rates. 
Finally, the bill provides the Secretary with $15 million in new 
resources to help State governments and public and nonprofit private 
entities develop innovative new initiatives designed to increase organ 
donation rates, including living donation.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3926 enjoys strong support within the transplant 
community and will help us in our efforts to ensure that every American 
has access to a donated organ or tissue when they need it.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this piece of 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3926, the Organ 
Donation and Recovery Improvement Act. I would like to commend the work 
of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working in a bipartisan 
manner to craft this important legislation and for working to encourage 
more efficient and widespread organ donation activities.
  Each day in America, nearly 70 people receive an organ transplant, 
and while this number is amazing, there are other numbers that are far 
more troubling. At day's end, 18 people on an organ transplant waiting 
list will have died because not enough organs are available. Nearly 
85,000 men, women and children are currently awaiting life-saving 
transplants, and every 13 minutes another name is added to the national 
transplant waiting list.
  According to the Institute of Medicine, which is part of the National 
Academy of Sciences, report Organ Procurement and Transplantation, many 
factors have been found to affect the organ donation rates, including 
the attitudes of the donor's family, the policies and practices of 
hospital staff and organ procurement organizations, and the manner in 
which individuals are approached about a donation.
  Sadly, while most Americans indicate that they support an organ 
donation, only about 50 percent of the families who are asked to donate 
a loved one's organs agree to do so. Equally perplexing is the 
interplay between cultural attitudes and race/ethnicity and how this 
affects rates of organ donation among racial/ethnic minority groups.
  The IOM reports that the perception of fairness and effectiveness in 
distribution of donated organs is as important as other factors in 
affecting donation rates beneficially. Members of racial/ethnic 
minorities comprise approximately 25 percent of the population, yet 
represent close to 50 percent of patients on organ transplant waiting 
lists. More than half of those who die while patiently waiting for 
their gift of life are people of color.
  The Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act establishes grants to 
States that will be used to assist in carrying out organ donation 
awareness, public education and outreach activities, and programs 
designed to increase the number of organ donors within a State.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, the bill directs the Agency for Health Care 
Research and Quality to conduct studies to ensure that efforts to 
increase organ donation and improve the recovery, preservation and 
transportation of donated organs are not done in vain.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3926, and I am proud to stand 
here and to say that this is something that we should do and we should 
do it right away.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Washington (Mr. Inslee).
  (Mr. INSLEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, this really is a bright day for the U.S. 
House of Representatives because today, with the passage of this bill, 
we will expedite the abilities of Americans to give the gift of life. 
It is not every day that we do something in the House of 
Representatives that can allow people to live, allow people that are 
now on waiting lists, waiting this morning to get an e-mail to come in 
and get their liver transplant or their heart transplant, that we are 
going to pass a bill today that will allow people to make a decision to 
actually give the gift of life; and I think that is a pretty good thing 
to be pleased about in the U.S. House of Representatives.
  The part I would like to talk about just briefly about this bill is a 
portion of a bill that Floyd Spence, our great Republican colleague 
from South Carolina, who I introduced a portion of this bill with back 
in 2000. Floyd, when we introduced this bill, was the longest living 
double heart/lung transplant in America, and I hope that this will 
shine on his memory with the passage of this bill today. Because what 
this bill will do will create an organ donor coordinator position in 
hospitals.
  It will be largely federally funded, and where we have put organ 
coordinators in hospitals, we have found we actually doubled the rate 
of donation decisions made by families, because it allows families the 
confidence and the knowledge and the coordination with doctors and 
nursing staff to make this decision.
  So this bill, we believe, is going to significantly increase a number 
of people who get that great call in the morning saying, come on down 
for your new liver and a new lease on life with 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 new 
years of life that people are going to have in this country because 
this bill is going to pass.
  Just to put a personal face on this if I can, and let me tell my 
colleagues why I feel so passionately about this. I want to introduce 
my colleagues to a friend of mine, Chris Klug. This was taken about 2 
years ago when we started working on this bill. Scott, in the year 
2000, had a problem where he lost his liver function, and Scott did not 
have a lot of time to live when he got a new liver transplant.
  Just to show my colleagues how successful these organ transplants can 
be, Scott, just 2 years later after getting a new liver, went on to get 
a Bronze Medal in the slalom snow-boarding Olympic championship in 
2002. That is a pretty amazing thing that this gift of life not only 
gives a gift of life, but it gives a gift of the tremendous life that 
Scott is now engaged in. We can see him on these snow-boarding 
competitions on occasion.
  The second person I want to tell my colleagues a little story about 
is, yesterday morning I was at the University of Washington Medical 
School in Seattle, Washington, and I was talking to Dr. Robert 
Carithers and Dr. Connie Davis, who had been involved in one of the 
premier transplant centers in the United States. They introduced me to 
a general named Henry Durnil.
  Henry is a fellow who works making sure that our navy ships are in 
good shape at the naval port in Everett, Washington, and some time ago, 
Henry's liver started to fail him. He got a call Saturday saying, come 
on in, get your new liver, and I got to meet Henry who was lying in 
bed. I have got to tell my colleagues if my colleagues saw the smile on 
Henry Durnil's face and we heard him talking about the miracle of 
getting a new lease on life, my colleagues will both vote for this bill 
and they will be happy to spread the gospel of helping others to make 
the donation decision, because Henry told me that he felt this was 
truly a miracle. He thanked his nurse, Susan Moore, and the whole 
transplant team at the University of Washington.

                              {time}  1445

  I am happy we are going to pass this bill so there will be more 
people with Henry's story to tell.
  I want to make a special plea to those who are considering this bill, 
and may be candidates to be organ donors. There are 80,000-plus people 
who are in the position of Scott Bennett, whom I also met yesterday at 
the Washington University Medical School. Scott Bennett has climbed 
Mount Ranier a few

[[Page H1338]]

times. He has a heart ailment and has been on a waiting list for a 
heart for over 4 years.
  I would also like to mention Jack Slater, who is a teacher for 
Seattle public schools who has been writing a diary in the Seattle 
newspapers about his experience.
  Mr. Speaker, we have over 80,000 people like Scott and Jack on a 
waiting list. This is a step we are going to take today to get the 
Jacks and the Scotts of the world in a position like the Chris Klugs of 
the world back doing healthy active lives.
  To let Members know how active they can be, we are trying to get the 
Organ Donation Transplant Athletic Games in Seattle in 2006.
  I want to make a couple of points in general that are important in 
this issue of donation.
  Number one, it is very important for people to realize that all of us 
are both prospective donors and recipients. I can tell Members how we 
are all prospective recipients, because a year after I started working 
on this bill, my son developed a congenital eye condition and ended up 
getting his sight restored due to a cornea transplant. So all of us can 
be recipients.
  But most importantly, we can all be donors. It does not matter how 
old you are, your race, where you live; all of us can give the gift of 
life.
  There is a fellow named Jamie Moyer, who is an All-Star pitcher for 
the Seattle Mariners. He is going to be the starting pitcher this year, 
and he has been an advocate for organ donation issues. Not all of us 
can pitch like Jamie Moyer, but all of us can be donors to give the 
gift of life; and I hope people will think about that in their own 
personal lives.
  Secondly, if someone wants to be a donor, it is very important to 
talk to your family because your family is essentially involved in the 
decision at that particular moment, and it is very important to let 
your family know about your wishes because your family needs to convey 
your wishes to the hospital at the right time. I hope people will talk 
to their families about this issue and we can make sure that we help 
more folks on the road back to recovery.
  I thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Bilirakis), who has 
shown great leadership on this issue. This is a great bipartisan 
effort, and the wonderful story that we can tell as we go home to our 
constituents this weekend is to say that we can give the gift of life. 
It is a good day for the House of Representatives and America.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Inslee) for his moving 
statement about how important this is. I think he really summed it up. 
I also thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Brown), the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Pallone), and of course the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), 
and many, many other Members who made this a reality. And I would like 
to thank the staff that also worked on this bill, because this is life-
saving legislation. I think when it comes to saving lives, I think we 
should try to move as quickly as possible. I hope we can move this bill 
through the House and it becomes law, and we can make certain that we 
save lives of people.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Organ 
Donation and Recovery Improvement Act. This bill will potentially save 
hundreds of thousands of lives over the next decade, by helping 
increase enrollment in organ donation programs, and making it easier 
for vital organs to get to the people who so desperately need them.
  According to Department of Health and Human Services data, 68 people 
receive life-saving organ transplantation every day. This is truly a 
miracle of modern science, turning tragedy into hope for a suffering 
individual. I commend our health professionals and scientists for their 
excellent work in making this happen. However, the true heroes are the 
millions of Americans who take the time to educate themselves on organ 
donation, and sign up to give the gift of life, in the case they lose 
their own lives. Checking the organ donor box on one's driver's license 
is a small but noble gesture that I hope every American makes.
  The problem is that not everyone does. Everyday 18 people die while 
on the waiting list for an organ donation--more than 6500 per year. 
Before they dies, they often spend years suffering with failing organs, 
and tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in hospital bills, or 
on dialysis. It is tragic that in a country with top-quality surgeons, 
with state-of-the-art facilities, that so many people on the waiting 
list and their families must continue to suffer.
  H.R. 3926 will take some smart steps to mitigate the problem. First 
the bill will provide travel and housing expenses for people who choose 
to donate their organs while living, such as a kidney, or bone marrow. 
This is a heroic sacrifice, and deserves our endorsement. Often hours 
are matched with recipients far from home. Of course, health insurance 
pays for the medical procedures involved with the transplantation, but 
the donor is often forced to pay for their own travel costs. That could 
keep some people from deciding to give. This bill will reimburse non-
medical travel and lodging costs to make donation more likely.
  The bill will also provide grants for efforts to raise public 
awareness of the need for the organ donors, and to increase enrollment. 
If we can get a burst of enrollments, and shorten the organ waiting 
list, we could get rid of this tragic problem once and for all.
  The bill also makes important investments to help our hospitals and 
organ procurement agencies better able to handle organs and get them to 
the people who need them. Finally, the bill will require the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services to produce a report every two years, 
describing our progress in improving our organ donation record--where 
we are succeeding and where we need further work.
  H.R. 3296 will authorize $25 million dollars per year for those life-
saving programs. It is an excellent investment that will ultimately 
save millions of dollars in care for people on the organ waiting list, 
and prevent years of suffering, or even death.
  I support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3926, the Organ 
Donation and Recovery Improvement Act, of which I am a cosponsor. Let 
me just mention several numbers, that for me, say it all about why we 
need incentives to increase organ donations across the nation. In 
Michigan, as of the first of this month, 2544 individuals are on the 
waiting list for an organ donation. Since the first of the year, 108 
individuals received a donated organ and, sadly, 19 people have already 
died because there was no organ available to save them. These are our 
constituents, our families, our friends. I know the Transplant Society 
of Michigan, our state's organ procurement organization, is working 
hard to increase donations. But they could use a helping hand, as could 
OPOs across the nation. The Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act 
we will vote on today is a very good start.
  The key to donation is public education and awareness. This 
legislation gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services the 
ability to award grants to States for the purpose of assisting States 
in carrying out organ donor awareness, public education and outreach 
activities designed to increase the number of organ donors. While there 
is a desperate need for vital human organs, the American public should 
know that there is also a continuing need for donated human eyes and 
tissue. Donation is the term used to describe the humanitarian act of 
giving to help another. Anatomical gifts include vital, life-saving 
human organs, sight restoring eyes, and repair and reconstruction human 
tissue such as bone, cartilage, tendons, skin, and heart valves.
  At national, state, and local levels, a partnership exists between 
the organ, eye and tissue bank communities. While all three communities 
are considered separate, given differences in medical criteria, 
training needs and distribution pathways, they are united in their 
message to encourage the act of donation. Organ donation saves lives, 
eye donation restores sight, and tissue donation provides skin grafts 
for critically injured burn patients and benefits thousands of patients 
in need of bone, cartilage, tendons, and heart valves. Without a donor, 
transplant surgeons cannot save or improve the health of even one 
individual.
  The intent of H.R. 3926 is primarily to address the shortage of solid 
human organs. It must be noted, however, that the eye and tissue 
banking communities are also partners in donation and that their 
participation and contribution in the donation process is critical to 
the continued health and well being of many Americans who have either 
been injured or are suffering from a disease. It is my understanding 
that it was our intent in crafting H.R. 3926 that specialists in the 
eye and tissue fields, as well as the organ field, should be consulted 
and included in the development and dissemination of educational 
materials on donation. It is my further understanding that it is our 
intent in this legislation that eye banks and tissue banks be 
participants in the development of hospital-based donations and 
protocols that have an impact on eye and tissue banking--as is 
currently the case under the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

[[Page H1339]]

  Every individual can sign-up to be a donor, regardless of health or 
medical condition. It is imperative, however, that individuals openly 
discuss their decision to donate with family and friends so that they 
may help honor their loved one's wishes and are knowledgeable about 
their options. Just one individual can save and improve as many as 50 
lives. Representatives of hospitals, organ banks, eye banks, and tissue 
banks work hand in hand to see that loved ones' wishes are respected 
and that gifts are properly handled for the benefit of others. I 
commend these organizations for working tirelessly toward this end and 
for their efforts to educate the public on the benefits of donation.
  In closing, I fully encourage all Americans to consider the 
altruistic act of donation and to make others aware of your decision.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the Organ Donation and 
Recovery Improvement Act.
  The need for human organs for donation has long been a silent crisis, 
one that rarely hits the headlines but can have a tremendous impact on 
thousands of patients and their families. Medical advances and the 
generosity of organ and tissue donors enable more than 22,000 Americans 
per year to receive organ transplants that save or enhance their lives. 
But despite the self-sacrifice and charity of so many donors, more than 
84,000 Americans are currently on a waiting list, hoping to prolong 
their lives by finding a matching donor.
  Tragically, the number of patients waiting for organ transplants rose 
more than five times as fast as the number of transplant operations in 
the 1990s, according to an annual report by the United Network for 
Organ Sharing (UNOS). As a result, about 5,500 people die in the United 
States each year (or 15 patients each day) while waiting for a donated 
heart, liver, kidney, or other organ. Every 16 minutes, a new name is 
added to this growing waiting list.
  These numbers are indeed concerning, and they should merit greater 
attention. Each number represents a person--a human being with a 
family, friends, and a future, and I have met with several of them who 
live in central New Jersey. We need to do everything we can to ensure 
that they get access to the organs that could very well save their 
lives.
  As one who carries an organ donor card and has discussed organ 
donation with his family, I urge all of my colleagues to consider 
taking similar steps. This action can mean the difference between life 
and death for someone in need of an organ transplant.
  I am glad to see that the House is considering the Organ Donation and 
Recovery Improvement Act, which would help improve access to organs by 
implementing a public awareness campaign, reimbursing expenses for 
organ donors, and authorizing grants to help hospitals coordinate their 
efforts with organ procurement organizations.
  While this legislation deserves our wholehearted support, it is also 
important to remember that the need for sustained investments in 
biomedical research and development at the NIH and in the basic science 
research, at agencies like the NSF, that creates the knowledge base 
needed to move ahead with medical research. Investing in R&D is about 
more than just giving jobs to scientists--it's about saving lives and 
improving the quality of life for countless Americans.
  I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the Organ Donation and 
Recovery Improvement Act and to remember the importance of supporting 
biomedical and basic science research.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I thank the other side of the 
aisle for moving this bill so quickly, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Terry). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3926.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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