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19 Oct

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News Press Release

Donate Life California Celebrates Successful Passage of AB 1268, Signed by Governor Newsom

New Legislation to Transform Organ Donation and Save Lives

SACRAMENTO, CA, October 16, 2023 – AB 1268, a landmark legislation that promises to significantly impact organ and tissue donation in the state, was signed by Governor Newsom. AB 1268, championed by Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), represents a crucial step forward in streamlining the organ donor registration process. This legislation makes organ and tissue donor registration more accessible and efficient for Californians. By including a checkbox on the state income tax return, individuals can now opt to become donors with ease, contributing to the growth of the California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.

Assemblywoman Irwin shares, “With this new law, Californians will have the chance to help save more lives through this important program. Ensuring we have a strong organ donation registry is critical for Californians and by forging this new partnership between the Franchise Tax Board and Donate Life California we hope to potentially save more lives every year by connecting more patients in need with donors.”

Key Highlights of AB 1268:

  • Efficient Information Transfer: The Franchise Tax Board will be responsible for annually sending this information to the California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry for individuals who have chosen to become organ donors. This streamlined process will enhance the accuracy and efficiency of organ donor registrations.
  • Simplified Organ Donor Registration: AB 1268 will require the Franchise Tax Board to revise the California resident income tax return to include a checkbox for individual taxpayers who self-prepare their returns to elect to be an organ donor with the California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.

“Since the creation of the Donate Life California registry, Californians have taken even greater strides to help save the lives of thousands,” stated Jim Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Donate Life California. Donate Life California feels that every Californian has the power to make a difference when they sign up to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor, and AB 1268 will help to create more opportunities for donation while giving hope to over 20,000 Californians who are waiting for a life-saving organ.

Facts about donation

  • Over 100,000 Americans are currently waiting for an organ transplant, more than 20,000 live in California. An organ transplant is their only remaining medical option.
  • Sadly, an average of 18 patients die every day while waiting, simply because the organ they needed was not donated in time.
  • 2022 was a groundbreaking year as more than 42,800 organ transplants were performed, and the US surpassed its 1 millionth transplant.

About Donate Life California:

Donate Life California is the nonprofit, state-authorized organ, eye and tissue donor registry. As a public service, the registry assures that all personal information is kept confidential and stored in a secure database, accessible only to authorized organ and tissue recovery personnel at the time of an actual donation opportunity. The registry is administered by Donate Life California and California’s four nonprofit, federally designated organ recovery organizations: Donor Network West, Lifesharing, OneLegacy and Sierra Donor Services. For more information about Donate Life California, please visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or in Spanish at www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.

Please visit Donate Life California’s Stories of Hope web page to read inspiring stories about organ and tissue donors and recipients from around the state.