BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 552|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 552
Author: Padilla (D)
Amended: 5/12/09
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-1, 4/29/09
AYES: Romero, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Maldonado, Padilla,
Simitian
NOES: Huff
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wyland
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Schools: health education
SOURCE : Donate Life California
DIGEST : This bill requires school districts, starting
with the 2010-11 school year, hat offer health classes to
grade 9 or 10 pupils to provide at least 15 minutes of
instruction on organ procurement and tissue donation that
will be designed to develop a knowledge of the potentially
life-saving achievement involved in organ and tissue
transplantation. It also requires non-profit
organizations, including among others, Donate Life
California, to provide school districts with the
information that will be provided through the instruction
required by this bill.
ANALYSIS :
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There are currently two ways to register as an organ donor:
1.Each application for a new or renewal driver's license or
identification card provides a place for the applicant to
indicate if he/she wants to be an organ donor. If the
person affirms this desire, the pink donor dot symbol is
pre-printed on the driver's license or identification
card.
2.Since 2006, the Donate Life California website provides a
way to register as an organ donor online.
Neither the standard nor framework for health includes any
information about organ procurement or tissue donation.
California does not require the completion of a health
course as a condition for graduation from high school.
This bill requires school districts, starting with the
2010-11 school year, hat offer health classes to grade 9 or
10 pupils to provide at least 15 minutes of instruction on
organ procurement and tissue donation that will be designed
to develop a knowledge of the potentially life-saving
achievement involved in organ and tissue transplantation.
It also requires non-profit organizations, including among
others, Donate Life California, to provide school districts
with the information that will be provided through the
instruction required by this bill.
The bill makes the following findings and declarations:
(1.) there are more than 100,000 people on the national
organ transplant waiting list, and more than 21,000, or 21
percent, of those people live in California; (2) currently
on 18 percent of California drivers are designated as organ
or tissue donors; (3) Californians who apply for a
California driver's license are asked whether or not they
would like to donate their organs and tissue. It is
important that, if we are asking that question, we are
allowing the individual to make and informed decision; and
(4) there is an urgent need to educate the public about
organ and tissue donation.
Prior legislation
AB 1972 (Steinberg), 2004, would have required at least 30
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minutes of instruction regarding organ and tissue donation
as part of the driver education course requirement for
grades 7-12. AB 1972 was held on the Assembly
Appropriations Committee's suspense file.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/18/09)
American Association of Tissue Banks (co-source)
Donate Life California (co-source)
Bellflower Unified School District
Blood Centers of California
Blood Centers of California
California Transplant Donor Network
Geneva Mission Lions Club
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network
Golden State Donor Services
Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks Trust For Life
Legacy Donor Foundation
LifeBanc
Lifeline of Ohio
LifeSource
Lions Club of Los Angeles
Loma Linda University Medical Center, Transplantation
Institute
Numerous Donor Family Members
Numerous Transplant Recipients
OneLegacy
Shafter Lions Club
Small School Districts' Association
The Honorable Tommy Thompson, former U.S. Secretary of
Health and Human Services
Visalia Charter Oak Lions Club
DLW:do 5/18/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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