# Respecting the Rights of Organ Donor Recipients Act of 2022

This bill protects people who receive organ transplants from being discriminated against based on their immigration status. Specifically, it ensures that someone who receives a donated organ cannot be denied certain federal benefits or have their immigration case negatively affected simply because they received that transplant.

The practical impact is straightforward: if you receive a life-saving organ donation, your immigration status and eligibility for federal benefits like Medicare or Medicaid won't be held against you. Before this bill, there was concern that receiving an organ transplant—which can be expensive and require ongoing medical care—might be counted against someone in immigration proceedings or make them ineligible for certain assistance programs. This created a troubling situation where people might avoid getting a transplant they desperately needed because they feared it could jeopardize their legal status or access to healthcare support.

The bill essentially says that organ recipients should be treated the same as anyone else when it comes to federal benefits and immigration matters. It removes a barrier that could discourage people from accepting life-saving transplants. This is particularly important because organ donation saves lives, and the last thing the healthcare system needs is people refusing transplants out of fear of legal consequences. The law recognizes that receiving an organ is a medical decision, not something that should trigger immigration or benefits complications.

Respecting the Rights of Organ Donor Recipients Act of 2022

DesJarlais, Scott

Respecting the Rights of Organ Donor Recipients Act of 2022 This bill prohibits limiting access to organ transplants based on an individual's COVID-19 vaccination status. Specifically, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network may not (1) request an individual's COVID-19 vaccination status when considering whether to place the individual on an organ transplant waitlist, or (2) require the vaccination in order for an individual to receive an organ transplant. This network is a public-private partnership that links organizations (e.g., transplantation centers and laboratories) in the organ donation and transplantation system.