S-957 : Still Just a Bill

The "Honor Our Living Donors Act" (S. 957) proposes amendments to the Public Health Service Act to enhance support for living organ donors by addressing financial considerations related to organ recipients.

Key provisions of this bill include:

• Eliminating Income Consideration for Organ Recipients: It prohibits grant recipients from considering the income of an organ recipient when providing reimbursement of expenses to a donating individual. This ensures that a donor's financial support is not contingent on the recipient's ability to pay.
• Removing Expectation of Payments by Organ Recipients: The bill strikes language that suggested grant recipients should seek reimbursement from organ recipients who are not financially needy for donor expenses. This further clarifies that the financial burden of donor expenses should not fall on the recipient.
• Mandating an Annual Report: The Secretary of Health and Human Services would be required to submit an annual report to Congress. This report must assess whether grant funding was sufficient to fully reimburse all living organ donors for their qualifying expenses in the preceding fiscal year, estimate the number of individuals not fully reimbursed, and specify the total funding needed for complete reimbursement. This aims to increase transparency and ensure adequate program funding.

The overall intent of S. 957 is to remove financial barriers for living organ donors and ensure robust support for individuals who altruistically donate organs, fostering a more equitable and effective organ donation system.