SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5509
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Health & Long-Term Care, February 27, 2003
Title: An act relating to the organ donor registry.
Brief Description: Creating a voluntary organ and tissue donor registry.
Sponsors: Senators B. Sheldon, Kohl-Welles, Deccio and Winsley.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Health & Long-Term Care: 2/5/03, 2/27/03 [DPS].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5509 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Deccio, Chair; Winsley, Vice Chair; Brandland, Franklin, Keiser, Parlette and Thibaudeau.
Staff: Tanya Karwaki (786-7447)
Background: Washington's Uniform Anatomical Gift Act permits a person to donate all or part of his or her body to another person. Such an organ donor may indicate his or her intent to donate by signing a "document of gift." This document may be a driver's license or a donor card. Unless the donor revokes his or her gift before death, the donation may occur without the consent of another person.
Approximately 80,000 people are on a national transplant waiting list; 1,200 of these are listed at Washington State transplant centers.
Concern exists that organ procurement in Washington is not sufficiently timely and successful.
Summary of Substitute Bill: A statewide organ and tissue donor registry is created. The Department of Licensing must electronically transfer the information on the driver's license or identicard of an organ donor to the federally designated organ procurement organization. The procurement organization shall then use this information to create a statewide organ and tissue donor registry. The procurement organization may also include information acquired from sources other than the Department of Licensing.
All reasonable costs of creating and maintaining the registry are paid by Washington State organ procurement organizations.
Participation in the registry is not a requirement for being an organ donor. Any donors that are part of the registry, however, must notify the procurement organization if they revoke their donation so that their names may be removed from the registry.
An "organ and tissue donation awareness account" is created. The Department of Licensing must ask applicants for a new or renewed vehicle registration whether they would like to donate one dollar or more to the organ and tissue donation awareness account. Moneys collected by the Department of Licensing shall be credited to the organ and tissue donation awareness account and transmitted to the Living Legacy Foundation. Money from the account may only be used for organ and tissue awareness programs and for reimbursement of reasonable costs associated with creating and maintaining the registry.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The substitute bill defines reasonable costs associated with the creation and maintenance of the registry, as well as with the initial installation and set up for the electronic transfer of donor information. The substitute also clarifies that the State Treasurer shall act in a banking capacity, and that the Department of Licensing shall collect the donations and credit them to the organ and tissue donation awareness account.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on February 19, 2003.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: Currently, there is no organ and tissue donor registry in Washington. 74 percent of Washington residents surveyed, however, thought that there was a donor registry. Washington residents are dying because organ donors are not promptly identified. This bill would provide such a registry at no cost to the state. The Department of Licensing already has the equipment in place to facilitate the electronic transfer of information.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: Senator Sheldon (sponsor); Vicki Austin, LifeCenter Northwest (pro); Jill Steinhaus, LifeCenter Northwest (pro); Judy Grogan, LifeCenter Northwest (pro); Debbie Whitlock, LifeCenter Northwest (pro).