PRINTER'S NO. 621
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
67
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY FARNESE, BOSCOLA, BLAKE, DINNIMAN, SABATINA,
BROWNE, BREWSTER, GREENLEAF, WHITE AND COSTA, MARCH 28, 2017
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MARCH 28, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of April 2017 as "Pennsylvania Donate Life
Month."
WHEREAS, Organ and tissue transplantation has been recognized
as a corrective and lifesaving medical procedure; and
WHEREAS, Each person who donates organs and tissues can
potentially save or enhance more than 75 lives and take 8 people
off of the organ transplant waiting list; and
WHEREAS, It is estimated that more than 118,000 people are
waiting for lifesaving organ transplants in the United States;
and
WHEREAS, More than 7,700 men, women and children in this
Commonwealth are awaiting lifesaving organ transplants; and
WHEREAS, On average, one person will die every 18 hours in
this Commonwealth waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant; and
WHEREAS, This Commonwealth has 18 transplant centers and is
recognized as a world leader in organ and tissue
transplantation; and
WHEREAS, Commonwealth law enables residents to donate their
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organs and tissues by selecting the option to become a donor
when applying for or renewing their driver's license or State
identification card and also allows relatives to consent to the
donation of organs and tissues of a deceased family member; and
WHEREAS, A vital component of the continuation and
advancement of organ transplantation is the recovery of donor
organs and tissues; and
WHEREAS, The lifesaving work of transplant team medical
professionals and researchers of improving surgical techniques
and antirejection drugs has resulted in significantly increased
success rates for organ transplantation; and
WHEREAS, This Commonwealth is a national and international
leader in the field of donation and transplantation, however,
the number of people in need of transplants far exceeds the
number of organs and the amount of tissue available; and
WHEREAS, Despite the progress made in this Commonwealth's
organ and tissue donor awareness program through the efforts of
the Department of Health and the Department of Transportation
and the Commonwealth's two organ procurement organizations, the
Center for Organ Recovery and Education and the Gift of Life
Donor Program and their partnering hospitals and exceptional
health care workers, the growing demand for donated organs and
tissues for transplantations represents a public health issue
that merits action; and
WHEREAS, In order for this Commonwealth to remain a leader in
organ donation and transplantation, it is necessary that the
pronouncements and public policies of State government encourage
and promote organ and tissue donation; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of April 2017
as "Pennsylvania Donate Life Month"; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the Senate support organ and tissue donation
and encourage all residents to consider the benefits of becoming
an organ and tissue donor by placing the organ donor designation
on their driver's license or State identification card or
registering online at www.donatelifepa.org and sharing this
decision with their families.
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