SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5828

               As Passed Senate, March 12, 1999

Title:  An act relating to the Washington gift of life award.

Brief Description:  Presenting a gift of life award.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on State & Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators B. Sheldon, Snyder, Franklin, Bauer, Rasmussen, Patterson, Fairley, Kohl‑Welles, McAuliffe, Fraser, Prentice, Thibaudeau, Jacobsen, T. Sheldon and Spanel).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  State & Local Government:  2/25/99, 3/3/99 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 3/12/99, 46-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5828 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Patterson, Chair; Gardner, Vice Chair; Hale, Haugen, Horn, Kline and McCaslin.

Staff:  Diane Smith (786-7410)

Background:  A Washington Gift of Life Medal was established in 1998.  It consists of an inscribed bronze medal awarded by the Governor at the request of the donor=s family and friends.

The organ donor is defined as an individual who makes a donation of all or part of a human body to take effect upon or after death.

An organ procurement organization is defined as any accredited or certified organ or eye bank.

Family members of the organ donor may apply or an accredited or a federally certified organ procurement organization may apply on behalf of the family member or person who consented to the organ donation as allowed in the statutes regarding human remains.  The application is made to the Governor=s Office.  Eligibility is determined and the medal presented by the primary organ procurement organization.

Each eligible family of an organ donor is entitled to receive one organ donor medal.

Summary of Bill:  The recognition is changed to the form of an award.  It is presented annually by the Governor=s Office in coordination with the organ procurement organization.  There are six awards made per year to representative families.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill supports the goal of raising the public awareness of organ donation and does so in a realistic way.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Senator B. Sheldon, prime sponsor.

House Amendment(s):  The House amendments made the involvement of the organ procurement organization in nominating and documenting the recipients= eligibility permissive rather than mandatory.