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Congress·In Committee·10 months ago

Congress Proposes New Protections to Stop Organ Transplant Denials for People with Disabilities

Also known as: Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President

Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Key Points

  • This bill makes it illegal for doctors or hospitals to deny someone an organ transplant just because they have a physical or mental disability. It ensures that everyone has a fair chance to get on a waiting list or receive a life-saving organ regardless of their disability status.
  • Healthcare providers would be required to make "reasonable changes" to help patients with disabilities. This includes providing extra help with communication or allowing family members and friends to help the patient follow medical instructions and manage their medications after their surgery.
  • A doctor can only consider a disability if it is "medically significant" to the transplant's success. However, if a patient has a support network like family or home-care workers to help them follow medical rules, they cannot be turned away just because they are unable to do those things by themselves.
  • If someone feels they have been treated unfairly because of their disability, they can file a complaint with the government's Office for Civil Rights. This provides a way to quickly resolve disputes and ensure patients get the care they need without unnecessary delays.
HealthcareCivil Rights

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
May 15, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

May 15, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

2025-2026

Senate committee reviews the bill

The bill has been referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. It must pass committee before getting a full Senate vote, so no protections are in effect yet.

Related News

4 articles
Forbes·about 5 years ago

A Woman With Down Syndrome Has Fought For Organ Transplant Anti-Discrimination Legislation For Years; Now, It's Been Proposed, And Named After Her.

Charlotte Woodward, a woman with Down syndrome and heart transplant recipient, inspired federal legislation to prohibit healthcare providers from denying organ transplants based on disability. The bill seeks to close loopholes in the ADA that allow for discriminatory transplant exclusions.

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Florida Politics·8 months ago

Delegation for 7.1.25: OBBB — Alligator Alcatraz — payout audit — AmeriCorps — stormy

The House approved legislation championed by Rep. Kat Cammack that protects disabled Americans from discrimination on organ transplant waiting lists. The Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act (HR 1520) passed the House on a voice vote and headed to the Senate.

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Florida Politics·10 months ago

Delegation for 5.6.25: Tension — royalties — chill — transplants — pro-growth

Rep. Kat Cammack carried bipartisan legislation through the House Energy & Commerce Committee to end organ transplant discrimination. The bill ensures that individuals with disabilities are not denied access to transplants based solely on their diagnosis or subjective life-value judgments.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act

Bill NumberS 1782
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(18)
D: 11R: 7

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.