From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Bipartisan legislation being circulated in Wisconsin would require high schools to educate students about human organ and blood donation.
Reps. Benjamin Franklin, R-De Pere, Nate Gustafson, R-Omro, and Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, as well as Sens. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point, and Sarah Keyeski, D-Lodi, yesterday sent a co-sponsorship memo to other lawmakers seeking support for their bill.
They say the state is facing “an urgent and growing need” for more organ and blood donation, noting 2,000 people have removed themselves from the Wisconsin Donor Registry since July.
“Our state is experiencing the highest rate of individuals leaving the organ donor registry in history,” lawmakers wrote, noting only 3% of eligible Wisconsinites donate blood and citing a lack of education as the cause.
At the national level, one person is added to the transplant waiting list every eight minutes, and 13 people die every day while waiting on the list, according to the memo. Bill authors note one organ donor can save as many as eight lives and benefit up to 75 others through tissue donation.
Under the legislation, school boards would be required to include education on human organ and blood donation in the curriculum for at least one of the grades 9-12 starting in the 2026-27 school year, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau.
While current state law requires organ donation education in driver’s education courses, lawmakers say this isn’t enough, as only about 25% of 16-year-olds had a driver’s license in 2023.
“As a result, thousands of young people are missing vital, factual information that could help them make an informed and potentially life-saving decision,” authors wrote.
They say their bill isn’t meant to require participation in the organ donation program, but rather to provide “accurate, balanced information” on the process so students can make an informed choice. Authors say blood research center Versiti and UW Organ and Tissue Donation have created updated education materials on the topic with state-specific data.
“By supporting this bill, we can reverse declining donation rates, empower the next generation with knowledge, and give thousands of patients a better chance at life,” authors wrote.
The co-sponsorship deadline is Nov. 26 at 4 p.m.
See the bill text.
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