Living Donor Protection Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4583
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-22: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-26T08:07:16Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 aims to encourage living organ donation by prohibiting discrimination against living organ donors in certain types of insurance coverage and by improving public education on the benefits, risks, and insurance implications of donating organs.
Key Provisions
- Insurance Protections (Section 2):
- Insurers cannot deny coverage, cancel a policy, refuse to issue a policy, adjust premiums, or change other terms of life insurance (pays beneficiaries upon the insured's death), disability insurance (pays for lost income due to illness or injury preventing work), or long-term care insurance (covers services for chronic illnesses or disabilities) solely because a person is a living organ donor (someone who has donated part or all of an organ while alive).
- This prohibition applies only if the decision is based purely on donor status, without evidence of specific, measurable health risks that would justify different treatment.
- State insurance regulators enforce this through existing state laws.
- Educational Updates (Section 3):
- Within 6 months of the Act's enactment, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) must review and update public materials on living organ donation.
- Updates must cover the benefits and risks of donation, as well as how donation affects access to insurance, including the new protections from Section 2.
- Methods include revising public service announcements, updating websites like organdonor.gov, and using other appropriate media.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- This Act introduces a federal prohibition on insurance discrimination specifically for living organ donors, which was not explicitly addressed in prior laws. It builds on general anti-discrimination rules in insurance but targets donor status as a protected factor, similar to protections for other health conditions.
- It mandates HHS to incorporate insurance access information into educational resources, expanding beyond current materials that focus mainly on medical risks and benefits.
Potential Impacts
- On Citizens: Living organ donors may face fewer barriers to obtaining or maintaining insurance, potentially increasing donation rates and improving access to life-saving transplants for patients with organ failure.
- On Government Agencies: HHS will need to allocate resources for updating educational materials within a short timeframe, while state insurance regulators gain a clearer mandate to address donor-related complaints.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though increased U.S. organ donation could indirectly support global health efforts by reducing waitlists and promoting best practices in transplantation.
- Broader Effects: Could lower overall healthcare costs by boosting living donations (which often have better outcomes than deceased donations) and reducing reliance on the national transplant waiting list.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Living Organ Donors: Primary beneficiaries, protected from insurance penalties that might deter donation.
- Insurance Companies and Insurers: Must comply with non-discrimination rules, potentially affecting underwriting practices and premium calculations.
- Patients Needing Transplants: Indirectly benefit from higher donation rates.
- State Insurance Regulators: Responsible for enforcement, which may require monitoring and handling new types of complaints.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Tasked with educational updates and public outreach.
- The Public: Gains better-informed resources on organ donation, encouraging informed decisions.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens consumer protections in insurance law by explicitly barring discrimination based on altruistic health decisions, enforceable at the state level without new federal bureaucracy. Definitions clarify scope, reducing ambiguity in application.
- Constitutional: Aligns with equal protection principles by preventing unfair treatment based on a non-risk-based status; no apparent conflicts with free market insurance practices, as exceptions for genuine risks are allowed.
- Political: Bipartisan introduction (by Reps. Bacon and Nadler) signals broad support for public health initiatives. It promotes organ donation as a national priority, potentially influencing future policies on healthcare incentives and anti-discrimination in other medical contexts.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (151)
Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12], Rep. Balderson, Troy [R-OH-12], Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21], Rep. Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [R-IA-1], Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2], Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6], Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37], Rep. Conaway, Herbert C. [D-NJ-3], Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4], Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10], Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33], Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1], Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11], Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1], Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4], Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42], Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7], Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26], Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3], Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2], Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Auchincloss, Jake [D-MA-4], Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36], Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2], Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6], Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52], Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40], Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9], Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2], Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7], Rep. Scott, David [D-GA-13], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7], Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28], Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6] and 101 more
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-22: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-07-22: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-07-22: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-22: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 — issued 2025-07-22 — PDF (4 pages)