An education special fund created in 1999 with voluntary $1 donations to the Organ Donor Center of Hawaii by people registering vehicles would become permanent under a bill moving through the Legislature. Bill would make organ
donor fund permanentContributions through vehicle
registrations promote educationBy Helen Altonn
haltonn@starbulletin.com
The fund was due to end June 30, this year, under a sunset clause. The new bill would repeal that.
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The House Health Committee passed Senate Bill 739 this week with strong endorsements from organ recipients and those working with organ donations. It now goes to the Consumer Protection and Commerce, Judiciary and Finance committees.
Donations totaled $20,903 from the fund's inception in July 2000 through Sept. 30 last year, said Anita Swanson, who succeeded Robyn Kaufman as Organ Donor Center of Hawaii executive director March 1.
All of the money went to the donor center, which divided it between the Hawaii Coalition on Organ Donation and Bayanihan/MOTTEP (Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program) for public awareness and education.
"We're not taking money from any other project," said Swanson, former state deputy director for behavioral health. "It's just a mechanism, allowing voluntary donation."
Tony L. Sagayadoro, MOTTEP program coordinator, said more lives have been saved through organ donations since the special fund was established. "It has saved my life and we are the living proof that transplantation works."
"Education is the key to increase donation," Sagayadoro said. "The misconception, misperceptions and myths about organ and tissue donation must be dispelled."
For the first time last year, more Filipinos consented to organ donation than those who declined, due to MOTTEP's educational efforts, he noted.
The University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine recently received a five-year federal grant and is contracting with the Organ Donor Center and MOTTEP to increase Filipino awareness of donations, she said.
"This is an example of how Act 88 'leveraged' the special fund into over $750,000 to our state."
Organ Donor Center of Hawaii
