December 8, 2025
The Honorable Shelley Moore Capito
Chair, Subcommittee on Labor-HHS Appropriations
United States Senate
170 Russell Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Tammy Baldwin
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Labor-HHS Appropriations
United States Senate
141 Hart Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Robert Aderholt
Chair, Subcommittee on Labor-HHS Appropriations
United States House of Representatives
266 Cannon House Office Building,
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Labor-HHS Appropriations
United States House of Representatives
2413 Rayburn House Office Building,
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chair Capito, Ranking Member Baldwin, Chair Aderholt, and Ranking Member DeLauro:
Thank you for supporting policies that strengthen organ donation and transplantation in the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, HHS Appropriations Senate and House Reports. We are committed to improving the nation’s system to help the more than 108,0001 patients waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Thank you for including four key priorities which we support. We request that you maintain these priorities through the steps for final passage:
- Directing a report of automated deceased donor referral software tools. These tools represent an important step towards efficiently identifying and referring every potential organ donor, ultimately increasing the number of lives saved through transplantation.
- Supporting the adoption of real-time organ tracking while in transit. Tracking technologies will improve the transparency of organ transportation across the country. By prioritizing this issue, you are helping precious donated organs reach recipients swiftly and securely.
- Urging the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to implement the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Organ Transportation Working Group recommendations. These recommendations are essential to optimizing the air transport of organs, reducing logistical barriers, and improving coordination among all stakeholders involved in organ delivery.
- Aiding the transplantation of medically complex kidneys. By requiring a report to ensure metrics used do not penalize hospitals for complex kidney cases, you are giving hope to thousands of patients on the waitlist.
Thank you for including these priorities in the FY26 report language. We look forward to working with you and your staff to further strengthen organ donation and transplantation nationwide.
Thank you for your work to improve the nation’s organ donation and transplant system.
Sincerely,
American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP)
American Foundation for Donation & Transplantation (AFDT)
American Kidney Fund (AKF)
American Society of Nephrology (ASN)
American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS)
American Society of Transplantation (AST)
Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO)
Kidney Transplant Collaborative (KTC)
North American Transplant Coordinators Organization (NATCO)
Renal Physicians Association (RPA)
The Mended Hearts, Inc. (MHI)
Transplant Families
Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO)
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)
Waitlist Zero
