Advocates are hoping Gov. Kathy Hochul signs a bill allowing people to indicate on their tax returns whether they plan to donate organs or tissue.
The Doorways to Donation Act is the latest attempt to boost the state’s organ donation rate, which lags the national average.
“I think this is going to be a significant driver of enrollments in the New York State Donate Life Registry,” said Aisha Tator, executive director of Donate Life New York. “And I know the governor wants to see New York state be successful in this area.”
Hochul vetoed similar legislation last year, citing fiscal and operational concerns from the Department of Taxation and Finance. Her office said she will review this year’s bill.
Tator said lawmakers have made changes to the legislation, including explicitly allowing an exception to the state law regarding the use of taxpayers’ personal information and addressing the fact that most people file taxes through third-party software.
“And I think we've met them where they are in terms of what they needed changed to the statute, so we could move forward, and we could join the ranks of these other states that are doing so very productively, very prolifically,” Tator said.
Michigan, Wisconsin and California have all added the question to tax returns in recent years.
With a donation rate of 53.8%, New York lags the national average of around 60%. Rates continue to be lower in areas such as New York City and Long Island than in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier.
