Living organ donors gain protection from income-based reimbursement cuts
S. 957 — Honor Our Living Donors Act · Filed by Ben Luján (D-NM) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 11, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends the organ donation reimbursement program under the Public Health Service Act to prohibit grant recipients from considering an organ recipient's income when deciding how much to reimburse living donors for their expenses. It also removes language suggesting organ recipients might make payments to donors, and requires annual reporting on whether the program has adequate funding to cover all donor expenses.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to strengthen protections and equitable treatment for living organ donors by removing income-based discrimination in reimbursement decisions and adding transparency requirements.
What the text implies
- Removal of language about organ recipients making payments (Section 3) may clarify that donation is not a commercial transaction, reinforcing the ethical framework of organ donation as altruistic.
- Annual reporting requirement creates a public record of funding adequacy, potentially exposing chronic underfunding and creating political pressure for appropriations increases.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
living organ donors (individuals receiving reimbursement for donation expenses)