BILL NUMBER:  S6528

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend Lauren's law, in relation to making the provisions of
such law permanent

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

The purpose of this legislation is to make Lauren's Law permanent; its
provisions require individuals who apply for a New York State Driver
License to complete the organ donor registry section.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

By removing the expiration language of Section 6 of Chapter 465 of the
Laws of 2012, this bill would make the provisions of Lauren's Law
permanent. The law is set to expire in 2016 if no action is taken to
extend it or make it permanent.

Chapter 465 of 2012 amends the public health law to require the
Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) commissioner to provide space on
certain driver forms for registering or declining to register in the
donate life registry. This applies to an application or renewal form
of a license, non-driver identification card application or renewal
form. On the application, in clear and conspicuous writing, an
              

individual is required to check either "yes" or "skip this question"
when answering the question "Would you like to be added to the Donate
life registry?"

Chapter 465 also provides that the commissioner shall not maintain
records of any person who checks "skip this question." Failure to
check a box will not impair the validity of the application and
failure to check "yes" or checking "skip this question" will not be
interpreted as a wish not to donate.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Chapter 465 of 2012, named after a 12-year old girl who received a
lifesaving heart transplant, is set to expire in October 2016. By
making this law permanent the state's organ donation registry will be
assured of consistent operation and promotion of donor consent.
Perhaps most importantly, a permanent donor registry status will
assure patients and families of patients that they will not be at risk
of losing a lifesaving opportunity to receive a vital organ or tissue
donation. As written the law requires applicants who fill out motor
vehicle forms to affirmatively check that, "yes" they will be an organ
donor, or to check the box stating that they are skipping the
question.

According to the New York State Organ Donor Network, New York
currently has the lowest Donor Designation Rate in the United States.
Because of Lauren's Law the state will continue to promote and
increase the number of organ donors while taking into consideration
all of the individual rights of persons to decline enrollment into the
program. The lifesaving value to our state residents of a permanent
Registry cannot be underestimated.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately