III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 479 

Designating April 2018 as ‘‘National Donate Life Month’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 23, 2018 

Ms. HEITKAMP (for herself, Ms. COLLINS, and Ms. WARREN) submitted the 

following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating April 2018 as ‘‘National Donate Life Month’’. 

Whereas, in April 2018, more than 114,000 individuals in the 

United States were on the official national transplant 

waiting list (referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘national 

transplant waiting list’’) managed by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network; 

Whereas, in 2017, 34,770 transplant procedures were performed in the United States with organs from 10,286 deceased donors and 6,187 living donors, yet 6,081 candidates for transplantation died while waiting for an 

organ transplant; 

Whereas, on average, 20 people die each day in the United 

States while waiting for an organ donation; 

Whereas more than 138,000,000 people in the United States 

are registered to be organ and tissue donors, yet the deVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:18 Apr 23, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR479.ATS SR479

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 479 ATS 

mand for donated organs outweighs the supply of organs 

made available each day; 

Whereas, in 2017, a record was set for the number of organ 

transplants performed in a single year, yet every 10 minutes, 1 person is added to the national transplant waiting 

list; 

Whereas an organ donation from a single deceased donor can 

benefit up to 8 individuals; 

Whereas a living donor can donate a kidney or a portion of 

a lung or the liver to save the life of another individual; 

and 

Whereas April is traditionally recognized as ‘‘National Donate Life Month’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates April 2018 as ‘‘National Donate 

3 Life Month’’; 

4 (2) supports the goals and ideals of National 

5 Donate Life Month; 

6 (3) supports promoting awareness of organ do7 nation by increasing public awareness; 

8 (4) encourages States, localities, and territories 

9 of the United States to support the goals and ideals 

10 of National Donate Life Month by issuing a procla11 mation to designate April 2018 as ‘‘National Donate 

12 Life Month’’; 

13 (5) commends each individual who— 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 479 ATS 

1 (A) is a registered organ donor who may 

2 have a positive impact on the life of another in3 dividual; or 

4 (B) indicates a wish to become an organ 

5 donor; 

6 (6) acknowledges the grief of families who face 

7 the loss of loved ones and commends the families 

8 who, in their grief, choose to donate the organs of 

9 deceased family members; 

10 (7) recognizes the generous contribution made 

11 by each living individual who has donated an organ 

12 to save the life of another individual; 

13 (8) acknowledges the advances in medical tech14 nology that have enabled organ transplantation with 

15 organs donated by living individuals to become a via16 ble treatment option for an increasing number of pa17 tients; 

18 (9) commends the medical professionals and 

19 organ transplantation experts who have worked to 

20 improve the process of living organ donation and in21 crease the number of living donors; and 

22 (10) salutes each individual who has helped to 

23 give the gift of life by supporting, promoting, and 

24 encouraging organ donation. 

Æ 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS