2010 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 10-1020 BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Frangas, Fischer, McFadyen, Primavera, Acree, Apuan, Balmer, Baumgardner, Benefield, Bradford, Casso, Court, Curry, DelGrosso, Ferrandino, Gagliardi, Gardner B., Gardner C., Gerou, Hullinghorst, Judd, Kagan, Kefalas, Kerr A., Kerr J., King S., Labuda, Lambert, Levy, Liston, Looper, Massey, May, McCann, McKinley, McNulty, Merrifield, Middleton, Murray, Nikkel, Pace, Peniston, Pommer, Priola, Rice, Riesberg, Roberts, Ryden, Schafer S., Solano, Sonnenberg, Soper, Stephens, Summers, Swalm, Tipton, Todd, Tyler, Vaad, Vigil, Waller, Weissmann, Carroll T.; also SENATOR(S) Boyd, Bacon, Brophy, Cadman, Carroll M., Foster, Gibbs, Harvey, Heath, Hodge, Hudak, Johnston, Keller, Kester, King K., Kopp, Lundberg, Mitchell, Morse, Newell, Penry, Renfroe, Romer, Sandoval, Scheffel, Schultheis, Schwartz, Shaffer B., Spence, Steadman, Tapia, Tochtrop, White, Whitehead, Williams. CONCERNING THE INCLUSION OF ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS EDUCATION IN COLORADO'S DRIVER'S EDUCATION COURSES. WHEREAS, Each year, the lives of approximately 500,000 people in the United States are saved and healed through organ and tissue donation; and WHEREAS, One single organ and tissue donor can save up to 8 lives through organ donation and up to 100 lives through tissue donation; and WHEREAS, There are currently more than 100,000 people in the U.S. waiting for organ transplants; and WHEREAS, The heart, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, and small intestines are organs that can be transplanted, and bone, corneas, heart valves, veins, skin, tendons, and ligaments are among tissues that can be transplanted; and WHEREAS, In 2009, more than 26,000 lives were saved through organ transplants; and WHEREAS, The Donor Awareness Council, a nonprofit organization, promotes organ and tissue donation in Colorado and Wyoming and works with the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles in the Department of Revenue to register licensed drivers as organ and tissue donors; and WHEREAS, The Emily Maureen Ellen Keyes Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Fund collects voluntary public contributions from people renewing and obtaining a Colorado driver's license or I.D. card, which contribute to donor awareness programs in this state; and WHEREAS, Colorado had one of the highest donor designation rates in the United States in 2009, with 65% of licensed drivers registering with the Donate Life Colorado Registry; and WHEREAS, The state departments of motor vehicles in the United States play a vital role in the donor designation system, as approximately 97% of all registered donors enroll at the DMV; and WHEREAS, It is important to make citizens aware that they can be an organ donor, and educating young people who will soon obtain their driver's license is a key factor in establishing a life-long commitment to donate life; and WHEREAS, The Donor Awareness Council provides age-appropriate programs for 6th through 12th grade students in Colorado to educate students about organ and tissue donation; and WHEREAS, In the 2009-2010 school year, 12,500 students in Colorado classrooms learned about organ and tissue donation through programs such as Transplantation Science and Creative Challenge; and WHEREAS, Several states across our country require organ donation to be taught in driver's education courses and, as a result, those states have seen increases in the number of newly licensed young drivers who enroll with their respective states' organ and tissue donor registries; and WHEREAS, Because many young people are not aware that they will be asked to be an organ and tissue donor when they receive their first license, it is essential that they are informed before they are of driving age; and WHEREAS, Colorado's young citizens can receive information about organ and tissue donation, discuss the information with their families, and in turn make an educated decision regarding donation; and WHEREAS, Colorado's driver's education courses are an excellent opportunity to educate Colorado's youth about organ and tissue donation; now, therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Sixty-seventh General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein: That the members of the General Assembly: (1) Encourage Colorado's driver's education programs and the Division of Motor Vehicles to include in their curriculum material to educate young drivers about organ and tissue donation and the life-saving benefits of helping their fellow citizens by signing up with the Donate Life Colorado Registry when they receive their driver's license; and (2) Further encourage the instructors of Colorado's driver's education programs to visit www.donor-awareness.org and www.organdonor.gov/student to obtain information and teaching materials that can be used to teach students in driver's education classes about organ and tissue donation. Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to Samantha Scheitler of the Donor Awareness Council; Roxy Huber, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Revenue; AlloSource; the American Transplant Association, Rocky Mountain Chapter; the Black Transplants Action Committee; Bonfils Blood Center; ClinImmune Labs; Donor Alliance, Inc.; LABS, Inc.; Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center; Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank; Statline LLC; The Children's Hospital; Porter Adventist Hospital; the University of Colorado Hospital; the American Transplant Foundation; the Rocky Mountain Division of the American Liver Foundation; the National Kidney Foundation of Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming; and Donate Life America. _________________________________________________________ Terrance D. Carroll Brandon C. Shaffer SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OF OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE ____________________________ ____________________________ Marilyn Eddins Karen Goldman CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SECRETARY OF OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE