American Kidney Fund Commends Washington, D.C. for Passing Living Donor Protection Legislation

ROCKVILLE, Md. (July 25, 2025) – The American Kidney Fund (AKF) commends Washington, D.C. for enacting an organ donor protection law earlier this month through the Living Donor Protection Amendment Act of 2025 (B26-0022). The legislation, which will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, prohibits life, disability and long-term care insurers from denying, cancelling or refusing insurance coverage to living organ donors; placing restrictions on coverage for living organ donors or requiring living donors to pay a different rate or premium based solely on their organ donor status. 

The bill was sponsored by D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie. AKF worked closely with McDuffie on the bill's language and testified in favor of the bill. AKF has led the charge to protect living donors nationwide; since 2021, when AKF issued its first annual State of the States: Living Donor Protection Report Card, 25 states and now the District of Columbia have enacted critical protections for living donors. 

"No one who donates an organ to someone in need should face insurance discrimination because they choose to give the gift of life," said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. "We are grateful to Councilmember McDuffie for sponsoring this important legislation, which will reduce the barriers D.C. residents face when they donate an organ, and to everyone who has advocated on behalf of living organ donors, as this will ultimately help save lives in our nation's capital." 

Increasing living donor protections is an integral part of AKF's policy agenda. AKF's Living Donor Report Card annually measures seven types of legislation states should enact to provide protections for living organ donors and encourage living donations. Without federal legislation to protect living donors, there is an uneven patchwork of protections across the nation, with some states providing no protections at all. The average grade for the U.S. is a C. By passing the Living Donor Protection Amendment Act of 2025, Washington, D.C.'s grade improves from a C to a B.  

Most transplanted organs are from deceased donors, but patients may also receive organs from living donors. Transplants from living donors generally present fewer complications than deceased donor transplants and living donor organs typically survive longer than deceased donor organs.

Today, over 105,000 Americans are currently on the organ transplant waiting list and over 94,000 of them, or 89%, are waiting for a kidney. In Washington, D.C., over 1,000 people are currently on the kidney transplant waiting list. Of the 28,492 kidney transplants performed in the U.S. in 2024, more than 1 in 4 – 6,418 – were made possible by living organ donors. In Washington, D.C., 109 of the 508 kidney transplants performed in 2024 were from living donors. 

AKF provides long-term financial assistance that makes transplants and post-transplant care possible for low-income dialysis patients. In 2024, AKF grants helped 1,601 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.