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1997 SESSION

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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 558 Designating Donor Awareness Day in Virginia.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 20, 1997 Agreed to by the Senate, February 19, 1997

WHEREAS, the critical need nationwide for more organ donors is literally a life-and-death situation for tens of thousands of Americans in need of organ transplants; and

WHEREAS, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, in the past five years, there have been 46,000 donors, resulting in 98,000 transplanted organs in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the number of persons who require transplants far exceeds the number of donors, and over 42,000 people in the United States currently are on the waiting list to receive organ and tissue transplants; and

WHEREAS, organ donor cards have been distributed since 1970, and, although national polls indicate that a majority of citizens are aware of the need for organ and tissue donations, many people do not sign their donor cards; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Commonwealth to encourage qualified individuals to execute by will, donor card, or other document the gift of needed organs as provided in § 32.1-290.1 of the Code of Virginia; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby designate the first Monday of National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week in 1997, and in each succeeding year, as Donor Awareness Day in Virginia to encourage organ and tissue donations; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the General Assembly urge the citizens of the Commonwealth to support Donor Awareness Day in Virginia by assisting organ transplant and donor organizations in their critically important efforts to save lives and by taking appropriate actions, such as signing a donor card, to ensure that their own organs will be available for transplantation; and, be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit a copy of this resolution to the Executive Director of the Virginia Transplant Council in order that its members be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly in this matter.