Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D-Forestburgh) announced that her bill encouraging organ donations has been delivered to Gov. Hochul and signed into law (A.973). The bill requires space for Donate Life registration in the initial process of setting up an online member service portal with an insurer.

“Becoming a living organ donor is a noble decision with the potential to save a life,” said Assemblymember Gunther. “Over 8,000 New Yorkers are on the national organ transplant waitlist, according to Donate Life. By providing space on the online portal registry for proper organ donation sign-ups, I hope to get these patient New Yorkers the transplants they need.”

Nearly 1,300 people in New York State have been waiting on the national transplant waiting list for more than five years, and in 2021 alone, almost 500 New Yorkers died in part due to the pronounced shortage of donors. New York State has long been a trailblazer in the expansion of organ donation accessibility, and signing this legislation into law would be the next step in the right direction, noted Gunther.

“Providing a space for New Yorkers to sign up to become organ donors costs nothing and stands to improve the lives of thousands of members of our community. Expanding opportunities for New Yorkers to enroll as organ, eye and tissue donors is a common sense move that will address low participation rates in the state's registry,” Assemblymember Gunther added.