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Stephanie Tubbs Jones Organ Transplant Authorization Act of 2008

Date: Sept. 23, 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care


STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES ORGAN TRANSPLANT AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - September 23, 2008)

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 6469, the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Organ Transplant Authorization Act of 2008. This legislation would provide important new funding for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

Nearly 100,000 people are on the U.S. organ transplant waiting list, and 19 people in the U.S. die every day because a lifesaving organ does not become available to them.

The Organ Procurement and Transportation Network, OPTN, performs the critical functions of maintaining the Nation's organ transplant waiting list and facilitating the matching of deceased donor organs with individuals in need of a transplant. It also develops policies and procedures for organ recovery, distribution and transportation, collects data about organ donation and transplantation and provides professional and public education about organ donation and transplantation.

Since its creation in 1984, authorization levels for the OPTN have stagnated at no more than $2 million annually. Today the projected cost of operating the OPTN is approximately $27 million. Over the years, both the demand for transplantation and the responsibilities of the OPTN have increased, yet funding levels have obviously not followed suit. This legislation provides a much-needed increase in the authorization of appropriations for OPTN from $2 million to $7 million annually.

The bill is aptly named in honor of Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones, our Democrat of Ohio who died on August 20, 2008, from a brain aneurysm. Representative Tubbs Jones was a strong and vocal advocate for organ donation during her life and donated her organs upon her passing. It is estimated that as many as 58 people will benefit from her donation. When enacted, Mr. Speaker, this legislation will provide critical funding to ensure the OPTN has resources it needs to continue to perform its valuable services to our Nation.

I would particularly like to thank Representative DIANA DEGETTE for all her hard work on ensuring passage of this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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