ACR 29, Frazier. Donate Life California Day: driver’s license.
This measure would designate April 20, 2015, as DMV/Donate Life California Day in the State of California and the month of April 2015, as DMV/Donate Life California Month in the State of California, and would encourage all Californians to sign up with the Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.
WHEREAS, Organ, tissue, eye, and blood donation are compassionate and life-giving acts looked upon and recognized in the highest regard; and
WHEREAS, More than 123,000 individuals nationwide and over 22,000 Californians are currently on the national organ transplant wait list. While about one-third of these patients receive a transplant each year, another one-third die while waiting due to a shortage of donated organs; and
WHEREAS, A single individual’s donation of heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and small intestine can save up to eight lives, the donation of tissue can save and enhance the lives of up to 50 others, and a single blood donation can help three people in need; and
WHEREAS, Millions of lives each year are saved and enhanced by donors of organs, tissue, eyes, and blood; and
WHEREAS, The California Department of Motor Vehicles is celebrating 100 years of service to the State of California and ten years as the official partner of Donate Life California; and
WHEREAS, A California resident can register with the Donate Life California Registry when applying for or renewing his or her driver’s license or identification card at the Department of Motor Vehicles; and
WHEREAS, Nearly twelve million Californians have joined together to save lives by signing up with the state-authorized Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry to ensure that their wishes to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor are recognized and honored; and
WHEREAS, Minorities are more likely to need a life-saving transplant due to higher incidences of hypertension, diabetes, and hepatitis, conditions that can potentially lead to organ failure and placement on the national organ transplant waiting list; and
WHEREAS, Nationwide, minorities make up 58 percent of organ transplant candidates and 64 percent of those awaiting kidney transplants. In California, Latinos make up 39 percent of those waiting for life-saving transplants, Asians and Pacific Islanders 20 percent, and African Americans another 12 percent; and
WHEREAS, Minorities make up more than one-half of the population of high school students in California, according to the State Department of Education. These high school students will have the opportunity to make a decision about saving lives and joining the state-authorized Donate Life California Registry to ensure that their wishes to be organ, eye, and tissue donors are recognized and honored; and
WHEREAS, Donate Life California has developed a comprehensive Educator Resource Guide that includes many of the health education content standards for California public schools. This Educator Resource Guide includes lesson plans and educational DVDs about organ, eye, and tissue donation, and the Donate Life California Registry created specifically for the youth population; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That in recognition of April as National Donate Life Month, the Legislature proclaims April 20, 2015, as DMV/Donate Life California Day in the State of California, and April 2015 as DMV/Donate Life California Month in the State of California. In doing so, the Legislature encourages all Californians to check “YES” when applying for or renewing a driver’s license or identification card, or by signing up at www.donatelifecalifornia.org or www.donevidacalifornia.org; and be it further
Resolved, that the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
96