Organ donation bill signed into law

On April 5, 2004 the President signed into law H.R. 3926, the Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act. ALF has supported the passage of this bill for several years and we should consider its passage as one of our “victories.” The bill does the following things:

• Allows the Secretary of HHS to award grants to States, transplant Centers or OPOs to allow for reimbursement of travel and subsistence expenses incurred by living donors;
  
• Directs the Secretary to establish a public education program to increase awareness about organ donation, as well as fund demonstration projects to increase organ donation and recovery rates, including living donation;
  
• Allows the Secretary to award grants to qualified OPOs and hospitals to establish and support organ donation programs;
  
• Directs the Secretary, acting through AHRQ to support efforts to increase organ donation, improve the rate of organ recovery, and efforts to improve the preservation and transportation of organs; and
  
• Allows the Secretary to evaluate the long-term effects associated with living organ donation.