Top three legislative efforts The first, and most important, is the Check Your Heart Act, which would add the organ donation question to the Michigan Income Tax form. The bill was introduced to the state House in March. If passed by June, the Donor Registry question would appear on the 2024 income tax form. We believe that, if passed, Michigan would be the first in the nation to offer the opportunity to register this way. The second most important legislation is a bill that would require education about organ and tissue donation in Michigan’s 1,800 high schools. Ohio, Indiana and Illinois have it and we think Michigan also should have it. We want those 16-year-olds who are asked the organ donor question when they go to get their license to have had education about what’s involved. It would be an hour in a health or science class. The third important piece of legislation is the Patient Access to Donor Registry information bill. It would encourage family doctors and urgent care centers to make information about organ and tissue donation available to their patients. There are all kinds of misconceptions out there that we think doctors can help with. For example, some people think they are too old to be a donor, and yet we had a tissue donor who was 101 years old.
© Photo by Melissa Dodoro
As VP of communications and external relations, Patrick Wells-O’Brien works with legislators in Michigan and in Washington, D.C., to increase the pool of donors willing to save and heal lives.
to expand donation, improve our systems, and educate the public. We agree that some organ procurement organizations (OPOs) are underperforming. In those cases, regulators should step in. However, new regulatory pressure that our industry is facing could put organizations like ours in jeopardy. Despite having nine consecutive years of record-breaking growth,
Gift of Life Michigan could be decertified or taken over by an outside group. We are working with our congressional delegation to inform them about our progress as well as the risks facing Michigan’s organ procurement organization. To stay up-to-date, visit golm.org/advocacy for our latest and most pressing news.
LifeLINES | 2023
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