H.B. 117 Organ Donation Amendments: transcript

Oh, I've been running, been, we're, I've just been waiting in the other room. I've, I've appreciate you. Uh, not helping, helping me not have more conflict. Thank you. Thank you all. You're smiling now. That's good. Thank you. He always smiles. I'm very happy to be here. Maybe you pull that mic a little closer. Very happy to be here. Thank, there we go. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm joined by Mark Dixon of Donor Connect, who'll comment on this bill. But, uh, this is a bill that got through last year, the process, but died on the Senate Board on the last night. Um, it's about organ donation. You know, we have about 55% of the state signs up to be organ donors, but there's a real need to try to up that percentage because we have about 80 Utahans every year who pass away waiting for an organ donation. While at the same time we have about 300 people pass away in Utah who do so under the circumstances where they could have been organ donors. So there's a mismatch there. We're just trying to close that gap. So all this bill does is a little bill. It says, uh, let's use the state's, uh, websites that receive a lot of traffic, uh, specifically including like the hunting and fishing website, uh, the tax and the tax website to, uh, bump the issue and say, if, if you're not an organ donor and I would like to be, please click here. So that's all it does. Uh, it, it also, actually, it does a couple other little things. It asks for hospitals to, uh, at some point before discharge, ask patients if they want to be donors. It, it gives them information if they want to be donors. Um, so we're just trying to close that gap. And, uh, uh, I will, uh, turn it over to Mark Dixon for a comment and introduce yourself and your organization.

Mark, uh, Mr. Chair and committee. My name is Mark Dixon. I'm the Director of Public Education and Public Relations for Donor Connect. Donor Connect is an organ procurement organization. We serve the state of Utah, and it is our role to, uh, serve as a bridge between people who are organ viable, organ donors, and people that receive transplants. As Representative Owens indicated, there, there is a, a gap. There are not enough organs, tissue and, and eyes recovered to meet the needs of people that are in need of transplant. And so we support this bill. It offers additional vehicles to educate the public about what it means to be an organ tissue and eye donor. And, uh, and will help in bringing people to the registry, making their wishes known to be, uh, organ tissue and eye donors. And, uh, and I'll just add, uh, one last comment. You know, it isn't just the people who die, uh, waiting for organs that we're concerned about. It's the long waits for people who, uh, eventually get them, but it's a crippling condition. I, we had a young man in our neighborhood who had been a tennis pro at the University of, uh, tennis athlete at the University of Utah. And a young married guy was, uh, was four years waiting for a kidney, and it was just absolutely crippling to him. And, um, so th this could really, uh, improve the lives of, uh, a small group of people in our state, but they're needy. And, um, that I'll conclude the presentation. Thank you. Bring it back to the committee for for questions.

Uh, donor connect maintains the organ donor registry for the state of Utah. And so whatever is on that donor registry supersedes what may be on a driver license. So if somebody said, no, don't want to be a donor, when they get the driver license, they can still go through other channels to become registered on that registry, which then supersedes what's on the license. And if, if they have have it on their driver's license, they choose not to, they could go the registry and remove that is that they can, so what you're,

My name's Justin Shannon. I work with the Division of Wildlife Resources. I want to thank the sponsor for being so good to work with on this bill last year. Um, and there, there was a bill, the, this same bill talked about putting all the voter information on a hunting and fishing license. And as we worked, as we looked at it, we said our website gets way more traffic than those really crowded hunting and fishing license. And so in working with Representative Owens, um, we found a spot on our website this summer to post vote, um, organ donation information we worked with, with Mark and his organization. And so it's up and running now and, uh, we're supportive of this bill and, um, we hope it does some good. So just wanted to say, um, thank you for that. So Thank you.

Senator Escamilla. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Make a, a motion that we favorably recommend organ donation amendments to the floor. A uh, sorry. That will be HB one 17 first substitute.

Um, no. This is such an important work and I, the more we can raise awareness and educate our public about process and allow us to have conversations with loved ones, as I know that part of the, of this process will include the family and loved ones to make, um, a decision as well. And there's nothing probably more shocking than not. Being prepared for this type of conversation is never easy. But I, it saves lives and, and I think there is a critical role for government to just educate and provide tools for people to be better informed when making decisions.

Good afternoon, chair and committee members. Uh, glad to be with you. This bill, uh, passed through the process last year and died on the Senate Board on the last night. So it did get some vetting last year. Um, and, uh, this bill is addressing the issue of organ donation. Only about half of Utah Utah's sign up to be organ donations. And here's, uh, some interesting numbers. There are just a couple that are really interesting. About 80 Utahans a year. Go to the grave, um, where they, because they were, uh, unable to get an organ donation, and yet over 300 on average, uh, people in Utah die every year under the circumstances where they might've been organ donors and help those people who didn't get 'em. And that's not even beginning to touch the issue of people who wait years and years under very difficult circumstances waiting to get an organ donation. So this is trying to address that issue. Only about half of Utah's sign up to be an organ donor, and we're just trying to see if we can't nudge that percentage a little bit higher. So this bill, uh, uses, uh, authorizes the state websites that see a lot of traffic, like tax commission hunting and fishing, um, to just say, if you're interested in being an organ donor, click here. So it gets that notice out. And, um, I, by the way, I am speaking to a sub. There was a, an objection raised by medical providers that we were happy to respond to that. Um, on admission to a hospital, you were advised about organ donation and, and the concern was ethical that, uh, hey, you're here to have your appendix out and if it doesn't go so well, could we have your liver? That might not have gone over. So, well, that was a joke. It's a little sleepy this afternoon, Madam Chair. But, um, that, that did seem a little dark. And so we wanted to fix that issue. So the sub addresses that just says that Don at, uh, discharge, they should be given, uh, information about being an organ donor. So, um, and then, uh, we did, uh, it, it also allows other issues that are needful. 'cause this isn't the only important public health issue that could be on a website. So it sets up a committee in the health department to allow the rotation through state websites of, uh, uh, you know, what they decide to be equally valuable issues. So that's the bill. And I have with me, uh, Mark Dixon, who's, uh, leads donor Connect in Utah. I'd like him to just to ask, offer a brief comment, and then that'll conclude the presentation.

Uh, thank you. It's a pleasure to be before the committee. I appreciate your time. Uh, prior to 2020, the registration rate, people signing up to be organ tissue and eye donors was about 60%. In the past five years, that rate has diminished to 48%. We are supportive of this bill as it provides additional vehicles for people to become aware of and sign up to be organ tissue and eye donors. So, thank you. Thank you. That concludes.

Uh, thank you. Uh, years ago I ran an organ donation bill and a policy that I wrestled with as to whether it should be opt-in or opt out. And as I thought about over the years, I think maybe the best option is neither You could check one of two boxes. I'm not gonna try to amend your bill, but, uh, I'm just throwing that out there as a policy to consider, because there's pros and cons with opt-in and opt out. If it's simply, you know, select one of the boxes below, I think it'll cause people to be a little bit more thoughtful about it. But it's just a, something to think about. That's all. I like your bill. I think you're onto something there, and, but this is just using the current system and trying to elevate The, I I get it. I'm not trying to co-op, I'm just trying to give you something to think about. I agree with you. So thanks.

Good afternoon, Chris Essel. Ty speaking. On behalf of the Utah Medical Association, uh, we just want to say that organ donation is a vital part of medicine and a vital part of public health in general. It's incredible, incredibly important, especially when you or someone you love needs an organ. And when we have, unfortunately, situations where organs can be donated, but the people haven't bothered, if it's a, if it's a conscious decision not to donate, fine. But when they haven't bothered or they don't think too much about donating and those organs could save a person's life, uh, we want to do everything we can. We want to encourage that. And, uh, we just want to thank the representative for putting this bill forward and doing everything he can. And, um, we obviously know this is vital and encourage organ donation across the board. Thank you.

Hi, Justin Shannon with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. I just wanna thank the sponsor for working with us. Last year when this bill initially came before the committee, there was a lot of, um, things that would've made it administratively difficult for us to, to, to follow. And in working with Representative Owens, he put it in a spot that made a lot of sense. And we have it on our website now. And, um, it, it's, it's been great. So, um, appreciate the sponsor for bringing this forward and being so good to work with us. That's all. Thank you.

Uh, thank you Madam Chair and, uh, committee members for allowing me to speak, uh, very enthusiastically for a bill. It's always better to speak in favor of bills, particularly those that will save lives. And I would just echo what, uh, Representative Owens said, but there's a data point that I wanna highlight. Um, a hundred thousand Americans are on the national waiting list according to the data that I could find. And, uh, 80% are waiting for kidneys and in Utah. And I'll defer to the experts about one in two utahns are still waiting, uh, for, for kidney transplants. And that number has gone up by 45% since 2011. So I hope you'll, uh, unanimously move this forward. And for leadership, please make sure this does not get pushed to the back of the board on the very last day of the session. Thank you for your time, and I appreciate, uh, the opportunity to speak.

Yeah, I'm sorry. Kale West in Salt Lake County speaking for me, myself, and I

There is a sub, please. Yeah, I would appreciate a motion to, it's an amendment. I would like to move amendment number one on the system. Sub sub one. Is it amendment? Oh, I beg your pardon. Uh, it is an amendment representative amendment number one? Yeah. Yes. I would like to move that amendment. Okay.

I don't have anything further.

I I would be happy to make another motion. Um, I would like to move that we favorably recommend House Bill one 17 as amended.

Um, I think this is a good step. We're just looking for any quiet little way we can to get a larger knowledge of people about this in, in hopes that we'll get a few more folks who are willing to be donors. They just didn't know that, that, that chance was there for them.

consideration. Madam Reading Clerk House Bill one 17 Oregon donation amendments by Representative Owens. This bill was heard in Health and Human Services with a vote of 12 0 2.

Thank you Ms. Speaker. Motion to adopt sub one.

I'll motion to circle then I have it when I look on my computer, Mr. Speaker, but I'll wait till we get it on the system. Motion to circle.

Yes. And I

Yes. Motion to circle.

Thank you Ms. Speaker. Motion to adopt sub one.

It it is a non-substantive change. It just adds a definition.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. This, uh, colleagues represents a bill that we passed last year. It died, uh, on the Senate board on the last night. Uh, it relates to organ donation. We have a, an issue in the state where only 55% of our population signs up to be an organ donor, yet we have 80 people a year approximately going to the grave, uh, waiting for an organ donation. And Interesting. The the interesting thing is that we have 300 people or so every year who die under circumstances where they could be organ donors but have not opted to do so. So this bill just tries to provide a nudge to ask people to consider being organ donors by putting, uh, a button on, uh, a link on state high traffic state websites like fish, uh, wildlife, uh, hunting and fishing website, tax website that says if you're interested in being in an organ donor press here. And, uh, also requires information on hospital discharge and a couple other similar circumstances. So just trying to, uh, increase the, the perception of the issue that we need people to sign up to be organ donors. That, that concludes my presentation Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Um, I I would just like to make a comment. Is that okay? Um, I don't think that it's the proper role of government to pressure people into donating organs, so I will be voting no on this bill. Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this bill. Uh, many of you have been to a variety of websites where on the side, in the bar, on the top and the bottom, you're bombarded with advertising. We don't allow that on our state websites. You go to a state government website, it's not there, but it is a very valuable tool that is in our arsenal. So being able to allow state programs to be advertised, if you will, or promoted on our state website, really is a helpful way for us to get more information to more people in more surgical circumstances. And especially the programs we're talking about are lifesaving programs, suicide prevention, organ donation, drug overdose, all of that sort of stuff. It just gets us one more chance to get people aware of our programs in the state that are available to help people who are in a life-threatening situation. So thank you Mr. Speaker.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I, I should have mentioned that it, it starts out with organ donation, but it, it does end up rotating through other lifesaving, uh, programs that can be, uh, called attention to on those high traffic websites owned by the state. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Thank you Ms. Speaker. Motion to adopt sub one.

It it is a non-substantive change. It just adds a definition.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. This, uh, colleagues represents a bill that we passed last year. It died, uh, on the Senate board on the last night. Uh, it relates to organ donation. We have a, an issue in the state where only 55% of our population signs up to be an organ donor, yet we have 80 people a year approximately going to the grave, uh, waiting for an organ donation. And Interesting. The the interesting thing is that we have 300 people or so every year who die under circumstances where they could be organ donors but have not opted to do so. So this bill just tries to provide a nudge to ask people to consider being organ donors by putting, uh, a button on, uh, a link on state high traffic state websites like fish, uh, wildlife, uh, hunting and fishing website, tax website that says if you're interested in being in an organ donor press here. And, uh, also requires information on hospital discharge and a couple other similar circumstances. So just trying to, uh, increase the, the perception of the issue that we need people to sign up to be organ donors. That, that concludes my presentation Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Um, I I would just like to make a comment. Is that okay? Um, I don't think that it's the proper role of government to pressure people into donating organs, so I will be voting no on this bill. Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this bill. Uh, many of you have been to a variety of websites where on the side, in the bar, on the top and the bottom, you're bombarded with advertising. We don't allow that on our state websites. You go to a state government website, it's not there, but it is a very valuable tool that is in our arsenal. So being able to allow state programs to be advertised, if you will, or promoted on our state website, really is a helpful way for us to get more information to more people in more surgical circumstances. And especially the programs we're talking about are lifesaving programs, suicide prevention, organ donation, drug overdose, all of that sort of stuff. It just gets us one more chance to get people aware of our programs in the state that are available to help people who are in a life-threatening situation. So thank you Mr. Speaker.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. I, I should have mentioned that it, it starts out with organ donation, but it, it does end up rotating through other lifesaving, uh, programs that can be, uh, called attention to on those high traffic websites owned by the state. Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Uh, uh, bill is, is, uh, trying to help with, um, organ donations basically. And, and it's more of an information, provide information than it is any kind of, uh, directive. Only 55% of Utahans are registered or organ donors and I, I believe, and so does the sponsor that we can do better. And about 80 Utahans die every year while waiting for an organ donation. Over 950 people waited for donations. Often these wait times are years long. Approximately 300 people die yearly under circumstances where they could have donated lifesaving organs. The bill is designed to increase the number of people who are registered as organ donors. The bill requires placement of simple, of a simple link to become an organ donor on the state tax website, as well as the Hunting and fishing licensing website. These are just two really high traffic websites. Um, it requires hospitals to give organ donor information prior to discharge and provides the department of, uh, health, department of Health rather, to set up a system to rotate other health issues on the state techs website as well as the hunting and fishing website. That's what the bill does. Thank you Mr. President.