Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act
Congress Proposes New Protections to Stop Organ Transplant Denials for People with Disabilities
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
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.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Programs
The bill explicitly recognizes home and community-based services funded through Medicaid as part of a patient's support network. This means transplant centers must consider Medicaid-funded support services when evaluating whether a patient with a disability can comply with post-transplant requirements, rather than dismissing patients who rely on these services.
Disabilities
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
4 articles
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.
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.
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.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(18)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.