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A RESOLUTION honoring Donate Life Kentucky for their life-saving work in the 1
promotion and funding of organ and tissue donation. 2
WHEREAS, in 1992, the Kentucky Association of Circuit Court Clerks 3
successfully lobbied for legislation through the General Assembly that afforded every 4
Kentuckian obtaining a driver’s license or state identification card an opportunity to 5
donate dollars to promote organ and tissue donation. These contributions were put into a 6
trust that the Circuit Clerks called their Trust For Life; and 7
WHEREAS, the Trust For Life was the first such program in the United States, and 8
since its inception many other states have requested information about the program and a 9
number of other states now have similar programs; and 10
WHEREAS, in 2006, the General Assembly passed legislation setting up the new 11
Kentucky Organ Donor Registry to create the statewide, confidential registry of people 12
who wish to help others through organ and tissue donation. A coalition of organizations, 13
including the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA), advocated for the registry; and 14
WHEREAS, this year Trust For Life and KODA encourage the passage of Senate 15
Bill 30, which allows a person to make a monetary donation or become an organ donor 16
through the vehicle registration process. The measure passed the Senate on a 35-0 vote; 17
and 18
WHEREAS, since 2006, over 2.2 million Kentuckians have placed their name on 19
the Kentucky Organ Donor Registry; and 20
WHEREAS, currently 64 percent of Kentuckians are registered, but the goal is to 21
get 100 percent registered, and public education is still needed regarding the facts and 22
process of how to make the decision to donate life; and 23
WHEREAS, nearly 1,000 Kentuckians are currently among the 106,000 Americans 24
who are on waiting lists to receive an organ transplant; and 25
WHEREAS, on average, one person is added to the national organ transplant 26
waiting list every ten minutes; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 22 RS BR 1391
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WHEREAS, the need for organ donations greatly exceeds the supply available and 1
the divide will likely increase in the coming years; and 2
WHEREAS, approximately 20 patients die every day while waiting for a donated 3
heart, liver, kidney, or other organ; and 4
WHEREAS, more than one million tissue and cornea transplants are done each year 5
in the United States, and the surgical need for tissue transplants has been steadily rising; 6
and 7
WHEREAS, in 2021, 536 organs were recovered and transplanted in our region 8
thanks to 189 generous organ donors, and over 700 tissue and cornea donors healed 9
patients in need through their gifts of life; and 10
WHEREAS, the KODA supports thousands of donor families with grief care and 11
correspondence, including interactions between recipients and donor families; and 12
WHEREAS, continued efforts to increase awareness of the need for organ and 13
tissue donation could mean the difference between life and death for citizens throughout 14
Kentucky and the nation who are waiting for an organ; and 15
WHEREAS, the Trust For Life, Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, and all member 16
organizations of the Kentucky Donate Life Coalition encourage all Kentuckians to 17
become organ donors to help save, prolong, and improve the quality of life of the citizens 18
of the Commonwealth; 19
NOW, THEREFORE, 20
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 21
Kentucky: 22
Section 1. The Senate hereby expresses its most profound gratefulness to the 23
Kentucky Circuit Clerks for their life-saving work in the promotion and funding of organ 24
and tissue donation. 25
Section 2. When the Senate adjourns this day, it does so in honor of Donate Life 26
Kentucky. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 22 RS BR 1391
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Section 3. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 1
Resolution to Donate Life Kentucky, 10301 Linn Station Road, Louisville, Kentucky 2
40223. 3