[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.
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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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