Living Donor Protection Act of 2025

Living Donor Protection Act of 2025

This bill is designed to protect people who voluntarily donate an organ or part of an organ — such as a kidney or portion of a liver — to someone else while they are still alive. These individuals, known as "living donors," sometimes face financial and legal disadvantages as a result of their generous act. The bill aims to remove some of those barriers to make it easier for people to donate without fear of being penalized.

Specifically, the bill addresses two main concerns. First, it would prohibit insurance companies from denying, canceling, or charging higher premiums for life, disability, or long-term care insurance solely because a person has donated or is considering donating an organ. In other words, being a living donor could not be treated as a "pre-existing condition" that works against someone when they apply for certain types of insurance. Second, the bill would require that the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) — which allows eligible workers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for medical reasons — clearly covers the time a living donor needs to recover from the donation surgery.

The bill primarily affects living organ donors and people considering becoming one, as well as insurance companies and employers who fall under federal leave laws. It could also benefit patients waiting for organ transplants, since removing these barriers may encourage more people to donate. The bill has advanced through the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and is awaiting a full Senate vote.