P1 1WHEREAS, The Legislature has established an official state
2organ and tissue donor registry that has become the largest in the
3world, with 13 million people signed up to save and heal the lives
4of others after death; and
5WHEREAS, The 10-year official partnership between Donate
6Life California and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has
7resulted in 95 percent of the donors on the registry being added
8by the DMV with a simple checkoff box; and
9WHEREAS, The Legislature has approved the innovative Living
10Donation California information and referral tool to encourage
11living kidney donation; and
12WHEREAS, Our Superintendent of Public Instruction has
13recognized Donate Life California’s high school education
14program, which has educated students about organ, eye, and tissue
15donation for the past six years and is anticipated to be added to
16the science frameworks; and
17WHEREAS, The Assembly acknowledges that California has
18the greatest need for transplantation in the nation with 22,000
19residents waiting for a second chance at life, representing one in
20five on the national waiting list; and
21WHEREAS, The Assembly acknowledges that in 2015, 918
22Californians became organ donors and 3,417 life-saving transplants
23were performed in our state. Tragically, 929 people died while
24waiting due to the shortage of available organs; and
P2 1WHEREAS, The Assembly sadly acknowledges that in 2015,
2California had the longest waiting time and most deaths while
3waiting, and that only 40 percent of Californians sign up as donors;
4now, therefore, be it
5Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That in
6recognition of the month of April as National Donate Life Month,
7the Assembly proclaims the month of April 2016 as Donate Life
8California/DMV Month in the State of California; and be it further
9Resolved, That in doing so, the Assembly encourages all
10Californians to register with the Donate Life California Organ and
11Tissue Donor Registry by checking “YES!” for organ and tissue
12donation when applying for or renewing a driver’s license or
13identification card, or by signing up at
14www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org;
15and be it further
16Resolved, That the Assembly underscores its renewed efforts
17to save more lives through donor registration and calls on all
18members of the Assembly to consider how best to share news
19about both the need for organ and tissue donation and actions that
20can be taken to help their constituents; and be it further
21Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
22of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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