Congress Seeks to Shield Living Organ Donors from Discrimination
The U.S. Congress is considering legislation to protect living organ donors from job and insurance discrimination. The patient advocacy group AAKP is actively campaigning for the bill's passage.
The U.S. Congress is advancing legislation aimed at preventing discrimination against living organ donors in employment and insurance. The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), a prominent advocacy group for kidney patients, has intensified its national grassroots campaign to support the passage of the "Living Donor Protection Act" (LDPA).
The bipartisan bill, identified as S. 1552 and H.R. 4582/4583, seeks to safeguard individuals who donate a kidney to save another person's life. Senators Tom Cotton and Kirsten Gillibrand are leading the legislative effort. The bill received bipartisan support when it passed out of the Senate HELP Committee in February 2026.
This legislative push builds on previous efforts. In 2018, AAKP worked with the U.S. Department of Labor to secure Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protections for living organ donors. The LDPA aims to codify these employment protections and prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against donors.
AAKP is collaborating with numerous other health organizations on the LDPA campaign. The group is also promoting its "KidneyVoter™" initiative, encouraging kidney patients and their supporters to engage in the political process and advocate for policies that support organ donors and patients.