RELEASE: Gottheimer, Lawler Announce New Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Organ Donor Registration

Resources / Uncategorized Share on RELEASE: Gottheimer, Lawler Announce New Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Organ Donor Registration Oct 23, 2026 Uncategorized Above: Gottheimer Announces the Lauren Shields Organ Donation Act at Westchester Medical Center. VALHALLA, NY — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) announced the introduction of the bipartisan “Lauren Shields Organ Donation Act.” The legislation would expand opportunities for Americans to register as organ donors through a wider range of federal and state applications, and ensure donor registration information is accurately recorded across state and national registries. “When my mother was battling sarcoidosis, a rare lung disease, she tried valiantly to get a new lung – perhaps the only chance at saving her life. She never received one,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “The bipartisan Lauren Shields Organ Donation Act will build on Lauren’s legacy and make it easier for Americans to register as organ donors, say yes across our country — just as Lauren would have wanted.” Watch Gottheimer’s full remarks here . The bill is named in honor of Lauren Shields of Stony Point, New York, who dedicated her life to organ donation advocacy. At just eight years old, Lauren developed severe heart failure and spent six weeks on the transplant list, including time on mechanical cardiac support and in a medically induced coma, before receiving a new heart that saved her life. Inspired by her experience, she became a passionate advocate for organ donation and helped champion New York’s Lauren’s Law in 2012. Lauren continued to face significant health challenges following her heart transplant. In 2020, she received a kidney transplant from her mother, Jeanne. She tragically passed away on June 26, 2026, at age 26. The Lauren Shields Organ Donation Act would expand opportunities for Americans to register as organ donors through federal forms and applications they already complete, including those for Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ benefits, passports, and federal individual income tax returns. The legislation would also direct the Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to establish a secure, automated electronic system to help update donor status across state and national registries. Additionally, the bill would establish a grant program through HRSA to help states incorporate donor registration into more of their own forms and applications, including those for Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, WIC, LIHEAP, concealed carry permits, and voter registration, to make donor registration more accessible nationwide and help connect more patients with potentially life-saving transplants. States could choose whether to participate in the program and which forms and applications to include. “Lauren Shields dedicated her life to giving others hope, and her legacy will continue to save lives for generations to come. I was proud to call Lauren a friend, and I know firsthand the impact she had on our community and her advocacy of organ donation. This legislation not only honors her life by making it easier for Americans to register as organ donors, but it also helps ensure their wishes are reflected across all donor registries. At a time when thousands of Americans are waiting for a lifesaving transplant, this bipartisan legislation is an important step toward expanding access to organ donation and carrying forward Lauren’s extraordinary legacy,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17). “Waitlist Zero is proud to support the Lauren Shields Organ Donation Act. This legislation will make it easier for Americans who want to give the gift of life to register as organ donors. Lauren understood the extraordinary power of organ donation personally. After receiving a heart transplant at just eight years old, Lauren devoted her life to advocating for organ donation. Tragically, Lauren died at just 26 while waiting for a kidney transplant. We can think of no more fitting tribute to her life than legislation that helps more Americans become organ donors and allows more patients to receive the lifesaving transplants they need. We are grateful to Representatives Lawler and Gottheimer for honoring Lauren’s remarkable legacy and championing lifesaving organ donation,” said Elaine Perlman, Executive Director, Waitlist Zero. “Congressman Mike Lawler’s sponsorship of the Lauren Shields Organ Donation Act is a meaningful step toward increasing organ donor registration and expanding access to lifesaving transplants. It is especially fitting that this legislation honors Lauren Shields, a Rockland County resident whose life exemplified the extraordinary impact of organ donation. After receiving a heart transplant at age eight and a kidney transplant from her mother in 2020, Lauren became a passionate advocate who helped inspire New York’s Lauren’s Law and devoted her career at LiveOnNY to supportin