Legislative Updates

July 13, 2007
South Carolina Donor Registry Becomes Law
(South Carolina Joins 45 Other States That Already Have A Donor Registry) 

In June, Governor Mark Sanford signed House Bill 3317 into Law.  The passing of this legislation by the SC House and Senate allows for the establishment of a SC Organ and Tissue Donor Registry that will be housed and maintained by Donate Life SC. 

“We are the 46^th state to join this important initiative,” says Melissa Blevins, Executive Director of Donate Life SC.  “An established Donor Registry will give South Carolinians the opportunity to sign-up to be donors and have access to their information online as well as through the SCDMV.”  The registry will give organ and tissue donors the ability to notify their family and friends of their wishes, making their decision to donate a matter of record.

“Often family members of potential donors are not aware of their family member’s wish to donate,” says Blevins.  “Once the registry is operational in early 2008, donors and authorized medical professionals will be able to obtain a document of consent that clearly states the donor’s wishes.”  

The Donor Registry secure website will also allow donors to update or change their information online after logging in through a complete ID verification. Currently there are over 600 people in SC waiting on a transplant in SC.  That number grows to nearly 100,000 nationwide.  Everyday 18 people die waiting on a transplant.  That means one person dies every 90 minutes in the US waiting for a life saving transplant. National research shows that although 98% of Americans support donation, only 30% knows the essential steps to take to become a donor. Others allow misconceptions, fears, and misinformation to prevent them from making a decision.

This Donor Registry will make it easier for the public to sign up to become an organ and tissue donor.  It will also aid in making an organ donor’s wishes more clearly known to their family members and loved ones. 

April 18, 2007
Legislative Update – Bill H-3317 passes through the House and moves on to the Senate - We are pleased to announce that Bill H-3317 was passed through the SC House of Representatives on Wednesday, April 18th, 2007 and will now be reviewed by the SC Senate. We will provide further updates and action alerts as we receive them. Again, thanks so much to all of you for your support of this important legislation.

April 10, 2007
Donate Life SC Speaks to Greenville Legislative Delegation

Last night, during the Greenville County Legislative Delegation meeting, Executive Director, Melissa Blevins, shared her passion for organ and tissue donation with the 19 Delegation members. After formally introducing the Donate Life SC organization to the group, Blevins told the Delegation that her experiences as a transplant nurse prompted her to become an advocate for organ and tissue donation.

“I saw first hand the critical need for more organ and tissue donors in South Carolina,” says Blevins.  “I watched many patients die needlessly waiting on a transplant. When a baby boy I had been caring for passed away waiting for a liver transplant, I knew I had to do something.”

Blevins went on to state the statistics in South Carolina.  Currently over 600 South Carolinians are on the waiting list for a life saving organ transplant.   In 2006, over 260 life saving transplants were performed in South Carolina, but 52 people in our state died waiting for a life saving organ.

March 7, 2007
Donate Life South Carolina’s Response to Senate Bills S 480 and S 481

As the scarcity of suitable organs for transplantation continues to grow, alternative sources are always being explored.  Currently a pair of bills (Senate Bills S 480 and S 481) relating to such alternative measures are under consideration in the South Carolina Legislature. Donate Life South Carolina welcomes the legislature bringing attention to the critical need for organ and tissue donation.  Because there are federal laws and medical guidelines that each state is obligated to follow, (Uniform Anatomical Gift Act), Donate Life South Carolina urges serious consideration of the legal and ethical issues involved in the Senate Bills.

Donate Life SC is willing to assist in any way with the debate on this issue.  Our goal is to encourage all South Carolinians to consider organ and tissue donation as an opportunity to save lives.