§274f–1 Public Awareness; Studies and Demonstrations

Summary

The Secretary must set up a public education program, working with national awareness campaigns, to raise people’s awareness about organ donation and to help increase donation rates. The Secretary can give peer-reviewed grants or contracts to public or nonprofit groups to run studies and demonstration projects that try to boost organ donation and recovery, including living donation. The Secretary can also give grants to States to help with donor awareness, education, and outreach. To get a State grant, a State must apply in the required form, set yearly goals to improve donation rates, and report each year on how it used the money and which programs might be copied by other States. States can use the funds for education, spreading information, donor registry work, and other donation-focused efforts, including living donation. The Secretary must also work with the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and other groups to create and share educational materials for health care and other professionals. These materials must cover proven ways to talk to patients and families, cultural sensitivities, and related issues. Congress authorized $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2005 and whatever sums were needed for fiscal years 2006 through 2009 for these activities, in addition to any other available funds.