Mandated choice in New Jersey?

According to a story in the Courier-Post, proposed legislation in New Jersey would require people applying for driver's licenses and identification cards to state whether they want to be an organ donor.

The bill "would require applicants to answer whether they want to become an organ donor. If they decide to do so, their donor status would appear on their license and be maintained in a state registry. If they're not ready to make a decision or uncomfortable sharing it, they would designate someone to make that decision on their behalf when the time comes. If someone doesn't want to be a donor, they would check off a box acknowledging that."

If someone doesn't want to be a donor, they should also check off a box acknowledging that their decision means they'll be put at the end of the the waiting list if they ever need a transplant. Almost nobody would refuse to register as an organ donor if they knew it would affect their future chances of getting a life-saving transplant.

Every year Americans bury or cremate 20,000 transplantable organs, and every year about 8,000 Americans die because there aren't enough organs donated. Do the math.





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America's Giving Challenge will award $50,000 to 4 U.S. charities that get donations from the most people by January 31, 2008. They'll also award $1,000 to 100 U.S. charities.

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