THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	26
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

urging the Department of Education and Department of Health to collaborate with the Organ Donor Center of Hawaii to increase awareness of the benefits of organ donation in the State of Hawaii.

     WHEREAS, medical technology has advanced to the point where lives can be extended beyond what society had envisioned, even as recently as twenty years ago; and

     WHEREAS, individuals are given the opportunity to donate their healthy organs to persons suffering from liver disease, kidney failure, lung injuries, and corneas for eyes; and

     WHEREAS, tissues, bone, and other anatomical parts can also be used by those with injuries that require repair; and

     WHEREAS, through the miracle of transplantation, many of our friends, neighbors, and family are now living healthy, productive lives; and

     WHEREAS, there are over 94,000 individuals on our nation's organ transplant waitlist, and unfortunately, less than half of potential donors will say "yes" to helping others through organ or tissue donation; and

     WHEREAS, 6,342 patients were removed from the national waitlist for organ donation upon reaching their death in 2005; and

     WHEREAS, in Hawaii, 375 patients are currently waiting for life-saving organ transplants according to data provided by the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network; and

     WHEREAS, the need for donated organs and tissues continues as there are thousands of people who would benefit if more individuals were to become organ and tissue donors; and

     WHEREAS, to increase the number of available donors, greater efforts are needed to inform people of the "gift" of organ and tissue donation and provide them with the opportunity of to save; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii has provided a clear and simple method to address this concern by allowing individuals to indicate on their driver's license their willingness to be an organ donor; and

     WHEREAS, the Organ Donor Center of Hawaii is the only federally-designated, private, nonprofit, charitable organization authorized to recover organs and tissue for transplant in the State of Hawaii; thus, it should be given greater assistance from public agencies in furthering this wonderful initiative on multiple levels; and

     WHEREAS, organ-donation education programs in high schools have been proven effective in other states in providing clear information to students and dispelling false notions they may have gained based on inaccuracies communicated through the media; and

     WHEREAS, the donation of an organ or tissue should not be cost-prohibitive for those who choose to help; however, unfortunately many individuals and families undergo financial and emotional stress in the process of donating an organ or tissue; and

     WHEREAS, in 2004, the state of Wisconsin adopted what is widely known as "Cody's Law," which was created to ease the financial burden organ or tissue donors bear by providing a tax credit for expenses brought about through the organ or tissue donation process; and

     WHEREAS, taxable income costs of up to $10,000 incurred by individuals and families from donating all or part of a liver, pancreas, kidney, intestine, lung, or bone marrow, and expenses that include travel, lodging, and lost wages, are eligible for this credit; and

     WHEREAS, since its inception, Cody's Law has been adopted in ten other states and is being considered in more than two dozen others; and

     WHEREAS, the Legislature, Department of Education, and Department of Health are ideally positioned to support the efforts of those who seek to build an educated and healthy Hawaii; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, that the Department of Education and Department of Health collaborate with the Organ Donor Center of Hawaii to increase awareness of the benefits of organ and tissue donation in the State of Hawaii; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education, Department of Health, and the Organ Donor Center of Hawaii develop programs that:

(1)  Provide clear and factual information to students to help them make an informed decision about organ and tissue donation;

(2)  Provide a means for encouraging students to communicate their wishes about organ and tissue donation to their families; and

(3)  Ensure that students who will soon gain their driver's licenses will be presented with the opportunity to become organ donors;

and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature supports living-donor programs such as Cody's Law, which provides assistance when individuals are in the process of personally donating organs or tissue to save the lives of the ill; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Director of Health, the Superintendent of Education, the Chairperson of the Board of Education, and the Executive Director of the Organ Donor Center of Hawaii.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Increasing awareness of the benefits of organ donation in the State of Hawaii