American Kidney Fund Applauds Bipartisan Committee Approval of Living Donor Protection Act

ROCKVILLE, Md. (Feb. 26, 2026) – LaVarne A. Burton, President and CEO of the American Kidney Fund (AKF), issued the following statement on the advancement of the Living Donor Protection Act (S.1552) in the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Thursday: 

"The American Kidney Fund is encouraged by the committee's action affirming this bipartisan bill. This represents a significant step forward for the kidney community and for thousands of Americans who give the gift of life through living organ donation.  

"Donating a kidney to someone in need is an incredibly selfless act, and the heroes who step up to do this should have our support. The Living Donor Protection Act helps ensure living donors don't face discriminatory barriers and are not penalized for their generosity.   

"A kidney transplant is the best treatment for kidney failure, offering an opportunity for a longer, healthier life. Today, there are more than 96,000 people on the kidney transplant waitlist. But there is a severe shortage of donor organs, causing thousands of people to endure years on the transplant waitlist.  

"Receiving a kidney from a living donor is considered the best treatment option for someone in kidney failure, as living donor transplants generally present fewer complications and typically function longer than deceased donor organs. When we protect living donors, we strengthen the entire transplant system and save more lives.  

"The American Kidney Fund has made passage of the Living Donor Protection Act a top priority, and we are gratified that this important legislation has passed out of committee for the first time after being introduced in the past six Congresses. 

"We thank Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) for introducing this legislation as well as Senate HELP Committee Chair Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for their leadership and dedication to improving the lives of people living with kidney disease, and we urge swift passage in the full Senate."  

The Living Donor Protection Act would provide baseline job protections nationwide and prohibit insurance companies from denying or canceling coverage, altering the price of coverage or otherwise modifying any aspect of a life, disability or long-term care insurance policy for a person simply because they are a living organ donor.