II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1435 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to promote awareness of organ 

donation and the need to increase the pool of available organs. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 21, 2015 

Mr. CASEY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to promote awareness of organ donation and the need to increase the 

pool of available organs. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Organ Donation 

5 Awareness and Promotion Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) In May 2015, over 123,400 individuals were 

9 on the official waiting list for organ donation manmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

2 

•S 1435 IS

1 aged by the Organ Procurement and Transplan2 tation Network. 

3 (2) In 2014, the most recent year for which 

4 complete data are available, 14,413 individuals be5 came organ donors leading to 29,531 transplants, 

6 while 6,198 individuals died while waiting for a 

7 transplant. 

8 (3) On average, 21 people die every day of 

9 every year while waiting for an organ donation. 

10 (4) Over 100,000,000 people in the United 

11 States are registered to be organ and tissue donors, 

12 yet the demand for donated organs still outweighs 

13 the supply of organs made available each day. 

14 (5) Many people do not know about their op15 tions for organ and tissue donation, or have not 

16 made their wishes clear to their families. 

17 (6) Organ and tissue donation can give mean18 ing to the tragic loss of a loved one by enabling up 

19 to eight people to receive the gift of life from a sin20 gle deceased donor. 

21 (7) Living donors can donate a kidney or a por22 tion of a lung or liver to save the life of another in23 dividual. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

3 

•S 1435 IS

1 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

2 (a) PUBLIC AWARENESS OF NEED FOR ORGAN DO3 NATION.—It is the sense of Congress that the Federal 

4 Government should carry out programs to educate the 

5 public with respect to organ donation, including the need 

6 to provide for an adequate rate of such donations. 

7 (b) FAMILY DISCUSSIONS OF ORGAN DONATIONS.— 

8 It is the sense of Congress that individuals pledging to 

9 share their lives as organ and tissue donors should be hon10 ored, and the importance of discussing an individual’s 

11 wishes regarding organ and tissue donation with family 

12 members should be encouraged. 

13 (c) DECEASED DONATIONS OF ORGANS.—It is the 

14 sense of Congress to— 

15 (1) recognize the generous gift of life provided 

16 by individuals who indicate their wish to become 

17 organ donors; 

18 (2) acknowledge the grief of families facing the 

19 loss of a loved one; and 

20 (3) commend those families who, in their grief, 

21 choose to donate the organs of their deceased family 

22 member. 

23 (d) LIVING DONATIONS OF ORGANS.—It is the sense 

24 of Congress to— 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

4 

•S 1435 IS

1 (1) recognize the generous contribution made 

2 by each living individual who has donated an organ 

3 to save a life; 

4 (2) acknowledge the advances in medical tech5 nology that have enabled organ transplantation with 

6 organs donated by living individuals to become a via7 ble treatment option for an increasing number of pa8 tients; and 

9 (3) commend the medical professionals and 

10 organ transplantation experts who have worked to 

11 improve the process of living organ donation and in12 crease the number of living donors. 

13 SEC. 4. ORGAN DONATION PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAM, 

14 STUDIES AND DEMONSTRATIONS. 

15 Section 377A of the Public Health Service Act (42 

16 U.S.C. 274f–1) is amended to read as follows: 

17 ‘‘SEC. 377A. PUBLIC AWARENESS; STUDIES AND DEM18 ONSTRATIONS. 

19 ‘‘(a) ORGAN DONATION PUBLIC AWARENESS PRO20 GRAM.—The Secretary shall, directly or through grants or 

21 contracts, establish a public education program in co22 operation with existing national public awareness cam23 paigns to increase awareness about organ donation and 

24 the need to provide for an adequate rate of such donations. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

5 

•S 1435 IS

1 ‘‘(b) STUDIES AND DEMONSTRATIONS.—The Sec2 retary may make peer-reviewed grants to, or enter into 

3 peer-reviewed contracts with, public and nonprofit private 

4 entities for the purpose of carrying out studies and dem5 onstration projects to increase organ donation and recov6 ery rates, including living donation. 

7 ‘‘(c) GRANTS TO STATES.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make 

9 grants to States for the purpose of assisting States 

10 in carrying out organ donor awareness, public edu11 cation, and outreach activities and programs de12 signed to increase the number of organ donors with13 in the State, including living donors. 

14 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a 

15 grant under this subsection, a State shall— 

16 ‘‘(A) submit an application to the Depart17 ment in the form prescribed; 

18 ‘‘(B) establish yearly benchmarks for im19 provement in organ donation rates in the State; 

20 and 

21 ‘‘(C) report to the Secretary on an annual 

22 basis a description and assessment of the 

23 State’s use of funds received under this sub24 section, accompanied by an assessment of ini25 tiatives for potential replication in other States. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

6 

•S 1435 IS

1 ‘‘(3) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds received under 

2 this subsection may be used by the State, or in part3 nership with other public agencies or private sector 

4 institutions, for education and awareness efforts, in5 formation dissemination, activities pertaining to the 

6 State donor registry, and other innovative donation 

7 specific initiatives, including living donation. 

8 ‘‘(d) EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary, in 

9 coordination with the Organ Procurement and Transplan10 tation Network and other appropriate organizations, shall 

11 support the development and dissemination of educational 

12 materials to inform health care professionals and other ap13 propriate professionals in issues surrounding organ, tis14 sue, and eye donation including evidence-based proven 

15 methods to approach patients and their families, cultural 

16 sensitivities, and other relevant issues. 

17 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

18 are authorized to be appropriated— 

19 ‘‘(1) for the Organ Donation Public Awareness 

20 Program under subsection (a), $5,000,000 for each 

21 of fiscal years 2015 through 2019; 

22 ‘‘(2) for the studies and demonstrations under 

23 subsection (b), $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

24 2015 through 2019; 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

7 

•S 1435 IS

1 ‘‘(3) for the grants to States under subsection 

2 (c), $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 

3 through 2019; and 

4 ‘‘(4) for the educational activities under sub5 section (d), $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 

6 through 2019.’’. 

Æ 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS