BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 516
86R3238 AJZ-D	By: Zaffirini
	Water & Rural Affairs
	4/12/2019
	As Filed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

The Glenda Dawson Donate Life Texas Registry, the state's organ donor registry, has been an unambiguous success. After only 11 years, Donate Life registered its 10 millionth person in 2017. It is the fastest growing organ donor registry in the country. In 2017, 940 Texas organ donors provided more than 3,000 organs to persons in desperate need, an increase of 47 percent from five years prior. Donate Life's partnership with the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas (DPS), which asks applicants for (or persons renewing) driver's licenses or identification cards if they wish to be an organ donor, has been hugely successful. Approximately 83 percent of the registry's participants have come from DPS.

 

Despite the registry's success, however, more work needs to be done to increase awareness of-and, by extension, participation in-the organ donation registry. 115,000 Americans and more than 10,000 Texans currently are on a waiting list for an organ. More than 400 Texans died in 2017 while on a waiting list. Increasing participation in the organ donation registry could mean life-saving care to those who need it more frequently and more expediently.

 

S.B. 516 would require the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to include on its application form for a hunting and/or fishing license a question asking the applicant if he or she would like to be an organ donor. Should the applicant respond affirmatively, his or her information would be relayed to the Donate Life Registry. The form also would include a space for the applicant to donate a dollar or more to the registry.

 

As proposed, S.B. 516 amends current law relating to registration as an organ donor and a voluntary contribution to the organ donor registry when applying for a hunting or fishing license.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in SECTION 2 of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 12, Parks and Wildlife Code, by adding Sections 12.0075 and 12.0076, as follows:

 

Sec. 12.0075. ORGAN DONOR REGISTRATION.� Requires a person who is authorized under this code to issue a hunting or fishing license of any type, including a combination hunting and fishing license, to, at the time an applicant applies for a hunting or fishing license:

 

(1) specifically ask the applicant only the question, "Would you like to register as an organ donor?"; and

 

(2) if the applicant responds affirmatively to the question asked under Subdivision (1), to provide certain information needed for identification purposes at the time of donation to the nonprofit organization designated to maintain and administer the statewide donor registry under Section 692A.020 (Glenda Dawson Donate Life-Texas Registry; Education Program), Health and Safety Code, for inclusion in the registry.

 

Sec. 12.0076. VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION TO ORGAN DONOR REGISTRY. (a) Authorizes a person, when applying for a hunting or fishing license of any type, including a combination hunting and fishing license, under this code, to make a voluntary contribution to the nonprofit organization designated to maintain and administer the statewide donor registry under Section 692A.020, Health and Safety Code.

 

(b) Requires the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to:

 

(1) include space on the first page of each application for a hunting and fishing license that allows a person applying for the license to indicate the amount that the person is voluntarily contributing to the organization; and

 

(2) provide an opportunity for the person to contribute to the organization during the application process for a hunting or fishing license on the TPWD Internet website.

 

(c) Requires TPWD to send any contribution made under this section to the comptroller of public accounts of the State of Texas (comptroller) for deposit to the credit of the Glenda Dawson Donate Life-Texas Registry fund created under Section 692A.020, Health and Safety Code, not later than the 14th day of each month. Authorizes TPWD, before sending the money to the comptroller, to deduct money equal to the amount of reasonable expenses for developing and administering this section, not to exceed two percent of the money collected under this section.

 

SECTION 2. Requires the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to adopt rules as needed to implement Sections 12.0075 and 12.0076, Parks and Wildlife Code, as added by this Act. Requires TPWD to develop procedures to implement those sections.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2019.