WASHINGTON, March 29 (UPI) -- A bipartisan group of U.S. House members has introduced legislation to honor organ donors with a commemorative medal.
Reps. Pete Stark, D-Calif., and Dave Camp, R-Mich., introduced the act in the House Thursday, while Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
The wait list for organs is more than 100,000 people long, and more than 5,000 people die each year while waiting for a transplant, Stark said. The act will encourage more donors to come forward.
"Organ donation, which literally helps save lives, is one of the most compassionate and noble acts an individual can make," Camp said. "With this medal, the federal government will recognize the unselfish act of donation."
