American Kidney Fund Urges Congress to Protect Living Organ Donors
Briefing on Capitol Hill will focus on the importance of enacting nationwide living organ donor protections through the Living Donor Protection Act
ROCKVILLE, Md., July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the American Kidney Fund (AKF) is convening a Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to pass the bipartisan Living Donor Protection Act (H.R. 4583/S.1552).
Joined by U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), who co-introduced the Living Donor Protection Act in the House, the briefing will bring patient advocates together with thought leaders and Congressional staff to highlight a critical gap in the system: the lack of baseline job and insurance protections for those who selflessly choose to save a life.
The Living Donor Protection Act would make a 2018 Department of Labor Opinion Letter national law and ensure that individuals who donate an organ can take job-protected leave for the surgery and recovery. The bill would also prohibit life, long-term care and disability insurers from limiting or declining these types of insurance for living donors. Individuals who donate organs deserve access to these protections, which remove barriers to living donation, helping increase the existing organ supply and reduce wait times.
There are over 109,000 Americans on the organ transplant waiting list, and over 97,000 of them—almost 90%—are waiting for a kidney. In 2025, about 1 in 3 people awaiting a kidney was able to receive a transplant, and 11 people die every day waiting for a kidney transplant. Receiving a kidney from a living donor is the best treatment option for someone with kidney failure, as they generally present fewer complications than deceased donor transplants and typically survive longer than deceased donor organs.
Speakers at the briefing include:
- U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), lead sponsor of the Living Donor Protection Act
- Mark Dreiling, chief of staff for Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), lead sponsor of the Living Donor Protection Act
- Beth Burbridge, AKF Ambassador and living kidney donor
- Sharron Rouse, AKF Ambassador and living donor recipient
- Dr. Daniel C. Brennan, professor of nephrology and medical director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine
- Ian Steger, legislative director at the American Council of Life Insurers
“People who step up to donate a kidney are making an incredibly selfless decision, and they deserve to be supported and protected,” said LaVarne A. Burton. “The legislation we have been fighting for represents a bipartisan solution that ensures living donors are protected, not penalized, for their extraordinary generosity. We are grateful to all those who are joining us today to help move this legislation forward in Congress.”
Increasing living donor protections is an advocacy priority for AKF. Since 2021, AKF has released an annual State of the States: Living Donor Protection Report Card, which grades states on seven categories of publicly reported legislation and regulations they have in place to protect living organ donors and encourage living organ donations. AKF has helped achieve protections for living donors in numerous states over the last several years, but barriers still exist in many states. Passage of the Living Donor Protection Act would ensure baseline protections are in place nationwide.
Specifically, the Living Donor Protection Act would:
- Prohibit insurers from declining or limiting coverage of people on life, disability or long-term care insurance policies due to their status as living organ donors
- Codify the 2018 Department of Labor Opinion Letter that says people have protections under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) if they want to take time off from work to donate an organ
- Require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to update their website and brochures to let potential donors know of their new protections
In February, the legislation was approved and passed out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee for the first time after being introduced in six Congresses.
This event is made possible with support from CareDx.
About the American Kidney Fund
The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nonprofit with the greatest direct impact on people with kidney disease. AKF works on behalf of the 1 in 7 American adults living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease—from prevention through post-transplant living. AKF fights for kidney health for all through programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy. AKF is one of the nation’s top-rated nonprofits, investing 96 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and it has received 24 consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, formerly known as GuideStar.
For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with AKF on Facebook, Bluesky, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Nancy Gregory American Kidney Fund (240) 292-7077 ngregory@kidneyfund.org
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