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End Kidney Deaths Act Introduced in Congress
By Charlotte Robinson - Last Updated: August 15, 2024
On August 12, 2024, US Representatives Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Don Bacon (R-NE), Josh Harder (D-CA), and Joe Neguse (D-CO) introduced the End Kidney Deaths Act in Congress. The bipartisan legislation would provide a refundable tax credit to living kidney donors who donate kidneys to nonfamily members, specifically patients who have been on the kidney waiting list the longest.
The act would provide living kidney donors with a $10,000 refundable tax credit each year for 5 years, for a total of $50,000. According to a press release from Rep. Malliotakis, if enacted, the legislation is expected to save the lives of up to 100,000 Americans and save taxpayers an estimated $10 to $37 billion.
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network reports that there are nearly 97,000 individuals on the kidney transplant waiting list. Meanwhile, the number of living kidney donors has remained steady, at around 6000 annually. Supporters of the End Kidney Deaths Act hope that offering an incentive for living donation will increase the number of donors.
