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
7produced 95 percent of donors on the registry through the DMV
8with 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 Senate acknowledges that California has the
18greatest need for transplantation in the nation with 22,000 residents
19waiting for a second chance at life, representing one in five on the
20national waiting list; and
21WHEREAS, The Senate acknowledges that 918 Californians
22became organ donors in 2015 and 3,417 life-saving transplants
23were performed in our state that year. Tragically, 929 people died
24while waiting due to the shortage of available organs; and
P2 1WHEREAS, The Senate 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 Senate of the State of California, That in
6recognition of the month of April as National Donate Life Month,
7the Senate proclaims the month of April 2016 as DMV/Donate
8Life Partnership Month in the State of California; and be it further
9Resolved, That in doing so, the Senate 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 Senate underscores its renewed efforts to
17save more lives through donor registration and calls on all members
18of the Senate to consider how to share information about the cause
19and about actions to help their constituents in need; and be it further
20Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
21this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
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