Organ Donation Awareness and Promotion Act of 2015

Summary: Organ Donation Awareness and Promotion Act of 2015 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the federal government should carry out programs to educate the public with respect to organ donation, and (2) organ and tissue donors should be honored. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the appropriation of specified amounts for FY2015-FY2019 for: (1) the Organ Donation Public Awareness Program; (2) studies and demonstration projects to increase organ donation and recovery rates; (3) grants to assist 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; and (4) support for the development and dissemination of educational materials to inform health care and other appropriate professionals in issues surrounding organ, tissue, and eye donation.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Organ Donation Awareness and 
Promotion Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) In May 2015, over 123,400 individuals were on the 
        official waiting list for organ donation managed by the Organ 
        Procurement and Transplantation Network.
            (2) In 2014, the most recent year for which complete data 
        are available, 14,413 individuals became organ donors leading 
        to 29,531 transplants, while 6,198 individuals died while 
        waiting for a transplant.
            (3) On average, 21 people die every day of every year while 
        waiting for an organ donation.
            (4) Over 100,000,000 people in the United States are 
        registered to be organ and tissue donors, yet the demand for 
        donated organs still outweighs the supply of organs made 
        available each day.
            (5) Many people do not know about their options for organ 
        and tissue donation, or have not made their wishes clear to 
        their families.
            (6) Organ and tissue donation can give meaning to the 
        tragic loss of a loved one by enabling up to eight people to 
        receive the gift of life from a single deceased donor.
            (7) Living donors can donate a kidney or a portion of a 
        lung or liver to save the life of another individual.

SEC. 3. 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.--It is the sense of 
Congress that individuals pledging to share their lives as organ and 
tissue donors should be honored, and the importance of discussing an 
individual's wishes regarding organ and tissue donation with family 
members should be encouraged.
    (c) Deceased Donations of Organs.--It is the sense of Congress to--
            (1) recognize the generous gift of life provided by 
        individuals who indicate their wish to become organ donors;
            (2) acknowledge the grief of families facing the loss of a 
        loved one; and
            (3) commend those families who, in their grief, choose to 
        donate the organs of their deceased family member.
    (d) Living Donations of Organs.--It is the sense of Congress to--
            (1) recognize the generous contribution made by each living 
        individual who has donated an organ to save a life;
            (2) acknowledge 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; and
            (3) commend the medical professionals and organ 
        transplantation experts who have worked to improve the process 
        of living organ donation and increase the number of living 
        donors.

SEC. 4. ORGAN DONATION PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAM, STUDIES AND 
              DEMONSTRATIONS.

    Section 377A of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 274f-1) is 
amended to read as follows:

``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.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated--
            ``(1) for the Organ Donation Public Awareness Program under 
        subsection (a), $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 
        through 2019;
            ``(2) for the studies and demonstrations under subsection 
        (b), $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019;
            ``(3) for the grants to States under subsection (c), 
        $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019; and
            ``(4) for the educational activities under subsection (d), 
        $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019.''.