SJR16: Joint Resolution Text

LRB-2875/1

DAK:kmg:hmh

1999 - 2000 LEGISLATURE

1999 Senate JOINT RESOLUTION 16

May 11, 1999 - Introduced by Senators Cowles, Baumgart, Drzewiecki, Roessler, Rosenzweig, Panzer, Darling, Schultz, Rude, Farrow and Huelsman, cosponsored by Representatives Underheim, F. Lasee, Urban, Olsen, Bock, Rhoades, Owens, Klusman, Stone, Black, Ladwig, Hahn, Nass, Goetsch, Musser, Albers, La Fave, Sykora, Gunderson, Wasserman, Spillner and Montgomery. Referred to Committee on Health, Utilities, Veterans and Military Affairs.

SJR16,1,3 Relating to: declaring opposition to the development of a national organ allocation policy that interferes with the ability to encourage donation of and to use transportable organs at the local level.

SJR16,1,4 Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That:

SJR16,1,6 Whereas, the citizens of Wisconsin and its hospitals, health care personnel and medical schools share a strong commitment to organ, bone and tissue donation; and

SJR16,1,10 Whereas, Wisconsin is home to 2 of the nation's most productive organ procurement organizations, namely the University of Wisconsin Organ Procurement Organization, based in Madison, and Wisconsin Donor Network, based in Milwaukee; and

SJR16,1,15 Whereas, Wisconsin's 2 organ procurement organizations were ranked 1st (in the case of the University of Wisconsin Organ Procurement Organization) and 6th (in the case of Wisconsin Donor Network) in identifying organ donors and matching them with patients among all 61 organ banks across the country in 1996 and 1997, in an independent study conducted by the Associated Press in 1998; and

SJR16,2,5 Whereas, the skill and efficiency of the state's organ procurement organizations have made it possible for outstanding transplant programs to be developed at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison and at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital and St. Lukes Medical Center, all in Milwaukee; and

SJR16,2,11 Whereas, in 1998 the Wisconsin legislature passed and the governor signed into law landmark legislation under 1997 Wisconsin Act 305, which will stimulate greater organ, bone and tissue donation, encourage the state's transplant programs to work together cooperatively, and foster increased cooperation among Wisconsin's organ procurement organizations and transplant programs and their counterparts in neighboring states and the surrounding region; and

SJR16,2,15 Whereas, the federal department of health and human services is again advancing a national organ distribution scheme which would disrupt the historic link between organ procurement organizations and their related local transplant programs; and

SJR16,2,19 Whereas, creation of a national organ distribution scheme would likely force Wisconsin residents to travel great distances to seek life-saving organ transplants and would likely interfere with the state's efforts to increase organ, bone and tissue donation in the state; and

SJR16,2,23 Whereas, one of the factors critical to the success of an organ transplant is the speed with which a donated organ can be transplanted, which means that any policy that encourages donated organs to travel great distances prior to transplantation will almost inevitably result in a worse prognosis for the transplant recipient; and

SJR16,3,3 Whereas, the only effective way to reduce the shortage of transplantable organs is to encourage greater donation in those geographic areas where such shortages occur; now, therefore, be it

SJR16,3,8 Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature hereby declare their opposition to the development of a national organ allocation policy that interferes with the ability of organ procurement organizations and transplant programs to encourage donation of and to use transportable organs at the local level; and, be it further

SJR16,3,11 Resolved, That the senate chief clerk shall provide a copy of this joint resolution to each member of the Wisconsin congressional delegation and to the President of the United States.

SJR16,3,12 (End)