Congress removes income caps on organ donor reimbursement, expanding support for living donors.
H.R. 7868 — Expanding Support for Living Donors Act of 2026 · Filed by Suzan DelBene (D-WA) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 9, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill expands the Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program by removing income caps for eligible donors (up to 700% of poverty line), raising the maximum reimbursement from current levels to $10,000 in 2027 (adjusted annually for inflation), and requiring detailed annual reporting on program outcomes. It funds the program at $5 million annually through 2037 and directs the GAO to study whether Medicare could absorb these costs directly.
Why we flagged it
The bill directly expands a federal program designed to remove financial barriers to organ donation, a public-health intervention with no private-sector carve-outs or narrow beneficiaries. The mechanism is straightforward: higher reimbursement caps and broader eligibility.
What the text implies
- Removal of income caps may shift donor demographics toward lower-income populations, potentially affecting equity in access to transplant services if recipient selection remains unchanged.
- Annual inflation adjustment to the $10,000 cap could exceed appropriated funds if donation volume or expense inflation outpaces budget growth, triggering Secretary authority to lower caps (with 30-day notice).
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
living organ donors (direct reimbursement recipients); organ transplant recipients (indirect benefit via increased donation supply)