American Kidney Fund Commends Alabama for Passing Comprehensive Legislation to Protect and Support Living Organ Donors

ROCKVILLE, Md. (April 20, 2026) - The American Kidney Fund (AKF) applauds Alabama for making living organ donor protections state law with HB 361, signed by Gov. Kay Ivey on April 16. The legislation prevents life, disability and long-term care insurers from denying coverage, raising premiums or canceling policies solely because someone is a living organ donor. The bill also provides state employees with 30 days of paid leave and offers private employers a tax credit if they offer paid leave.

AKF led efforts to advance this legislation, testifying about the bill in committees and working closely with the bill's lead sponsor, Alabama House Minority Leader Rep. Anthony Daniels. Rep. Daniels received a living donor kidney transplant last year from his wife, Teneshia Daniels. As a result of enacting HB 361, Alabama is the 37th state in the country to guarantee these important protections for living organ donors. Increasing living donor protections at the state and federal level has been a critical part of AKF's policy agenda for many years. 

"There are few acts more selfless than giving a kidney to save someone's life, and we must support those who make this profoundly generous choice," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. "One of our goals is to help ensure that potential donors do not run into barriers such as insurance discrimination. We are grateful to Rep. Daniels for his support and leadership on this bill, which safeguards much-needed protections for living donors." 

AKF's State of the States: Living Donor Protection Report Card grades states on seven categories of publicly reported legislation and regulations they have in place to protect living organ donors and encourage living donations. With the absence of federal legislation to protect living donors, there is an uneven patchwork of protections across the nation, with some states providing no protections at all. By passing HB 361, Alabama's grade improves from a D to a C — the baseline grade for all states if a federal Living Donor Protection Act were passed.

"Donating an organ is the ultimate act of selflessness," said Rep. Daniels. "But living donors can struggle with insurance coverage, financial burdens and taking time off work to recover. After I survived kidney failure thanks to my wife donating a kidney, I vowed to help other transplant patients. Enacting strong protections for living organ donors is a good place to start. I want to thank my legislative colleagues on both sides of the aisle for passing this bill so that living organ donors are supported and treated like the life-saving heroes they are."

While most transplanted organs come from deceased donors, patients can also receive organs from living donors. Living donor transplants usually present fewer complications than deceased donor transplants and typically last longer than deceased donor organs.

There are more than 100,000 Americans on the organ transplant waiting list and almost 90% are waiting for a kidney. Last year, living donors made about 1 in 4 kidney transplants possible. In Alabama, there are currently more than 1,000 people on the kidney transplant waiting list; last year 52 of the 262 kidney transplants performed were from living donors. 

AKF provides long-term financial assistance that makes transplants and post-transplant care possible for low-income dialysis patients. In 2025, AKF grants helped 1,673 people nationwide receive kidney transplants — roughly 6% of all kidney transplants performed in the United States last year.  AKF's program helps post-transplant patients for their full insurance plan year, ensuring continuity of care.