Rep. Kat Cammack's (R-FL) Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act has passed the House, which will prohibit the denial of organ transplants to disabled Americans.
The bill expands upon the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 by clarifying that organ transplants cannot be denied to disabled individuals and prohibits covered entities from determining an individual is ineligible to receive a transplant, deny an organ transplant, or related service, refuse to refer the individual to an organ transplant center, refuse to place an individual on a waiting list or decline insurance coverage for a transplant or related service based solely on the fact that the individual has a disability.
Rep. Cammack was inspired to draft the bill after the child of one of her constituents, a baby boy named Zion Sarmiento, was denied a heart transplant due to being born with Down Syndrome and died 40 days after birth in June 2021.
Charlotte Woodward is a woman with Down Syndrome who was able to receive a heart transplant twelve years ago.
"This is a monumental day for all of us. I want to thank Charlotte, Bobbi, and Josh Sarmiento, and all of the advocates who have worked hard to get this bill to this point. We're inspired by your stories and will continue to fight for this issue so no other American experiences what the Sarmiento family—and so many others—did. I'm grateful to my colleague, Rep. Debbie Dingell, for her partnership and work on this bill and to Senator Rubio for his leadership on this issue in the Senate. Finally, I extend my thanks to Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers for her leadership on this issue and so many others affecting this community," said Rep. Cammack in her press release.
Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI), the bill's cosponsor, said, "It's unthinkable that people with disabilities are passed over for life-saving transplants based on discriminatory and subjective assumptions about their ability to comply with post-operative care. This bill takes important action to ensure that all Americans, regardless of disability status, receive equitable access to the care they need. I'm glad to see it one step closer to becoming law."
