State Rep. Tim Ozinga’s bill aimed at providing more opportunities to sign up to be organ donors passed the Illinois House of Representatives last week.
Ozinga, R-Mokena, sponsored HB 4696, which passed the House unanimously, according to a news release.
“Earlier this year, I hosted an event to allow any constituent to suggest legislation to help better our state,” Ozinga said in a statement. “I was pleased to introduce this bill on behalf of the Maddog Strong Foundation.”
While the state has a participation rate of 65% of eligible individuals registering as donors, hundreds of residents still die each year waiting for an organ transplant.
The bill offers the Illinois Department of Natural Resources hunting license purchasers the opportunity to be redirected to the website for the First Person Consent Registry for organ and tissue donors maintained by the Secretary of State.
Frank Grobmeier, executive director of Maddog Strong Foundation, said in the release that the bill honors his daughter Maddie, who held hunting and fishing licenses and was a youth leader in the outdoors community. She became an organ and tissue donor after her death.
“This bill honors her and every Illinois donor hero by giving those Illinois hunters a chance to sign up on the Illinois Secretary of State donor registry when they get their annual license,” Grobmeier said in a statement.
The bill goes to the Senate for consideration.
Source: The Daily Chronicle
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