Ohio House Passes Legislation to Link Organ Donor Registration to Hunting and Fishing License Applications

COLUMBUS –The Ohio House of Representatives today passed House Bill 256, which will require the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to inquire about organ donation when someone registers for a hunting or fishing license. The bill is joint sponsored by State Reps. Kevin Miller (R-Newark) and Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandria).

The legislation aims to help meet the demand in Ohio for life-saving organ transplants by linking the process of registering as an organ donor to hunting and fishing license applications. Ohio has over 2,700 registered individuals waiting for an organ transplant procedure.

“Seventeen people in the U.S. lose their lives each day while waiting for an organ transplant,” said Miller. “Our legislation gives Ohioans another opportunity to choose to be an organ donor while applying for their hunting or fishing license.”

The Buckeye State alone has over 300,000 annual applicants for hunting licenses and 850,000 annual applicants for fishing licenses.

“This approach will ensure a big portion of our state’s population is presented with the opportunity to become organ donors, ultimately saving lives,” said Creech.

House Bill 256 now moves to the Ohio Senate for consideration.