Pete Stark: “I rise in support of H.R. 624, the Organ Donation Improvement Act. H.R. 624 is an important piece of legislation that…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 624, the Organ Donation Improvement Act. H.R. 624 is an important piece of legislation that provides financial assistance to living donors to cover the travel expenses associated with donating an organ, and provides new funds for programs to educate the public with respect to organ donation. In a National Kidney Foundation Survey, one out of four family members said that financial considerations prevented them from volunteering to become a living donor. When you consider airfare, hotel, ground transportation, and food for a few days, the costs add up. This bill would provide grants to states, transplant centers, organ procurement organizations, and other public entities to enable them to pay for the non-medical travel and subsistence expenses incurred by a donor in conjunction with organ donation. It is targeted to recipients with incomes below $35,000 a year who might not otherwise be able to aide a donor in paying for travel costs. More people would be able to become living donors if we remove this cost barrier. In a country as wealthy as ours, we cannot allow those who are in need of an organ to miss a life-saving opportunity because of a lack of travel funds for a family member or other matching donor. Moreover, we must facilitate more people becoming living organ donors by removing whatever obstacles we can.”