I am pleased to share several updates on the progress of our work to expand living donation and end the kidney shortage.

First, Waitlist Zero’s Honor Our Living Donors (HOLD) Act has successfully passed in February of 2026 and is now federal law. This legislation addresses a major barrier to living kidney donation by fixing the low-income donor reimbursement system, which has prevented many otherwise willing donors from being able to proceed with donation.

While the law’s passage is an important milestone, implementation remains a challenge. Unfortunately, HRSA has been slow to implement the HOLD Act. I am actively working to encourage faster implementation so that donors can benefit from this life-saving policy without unnecessary delay. Delays in both the passage and implementation of policies like these have life or death consequences. It is critical that agencies and staff move with urgency when life-saving solutions are available.

Our experience in New York underscores this point. Waitlist Zero’s New York State Living Donor Support Program is now up and running, and I recently spoke with the two administrators leading the program, Loretta and Samantha. They have conducted educational outreach with every transplant center in New York State, and I will be joining them to lead a webinar with New York State transplant social workers to further support implementation.

The program is already making an impact. More than 120 donors have benefited since its launch in October 2025. Although the law was passed in December 2022 and was originally scheduled to launch on April 1, 2023, donors who donated between April 1, 2023 and October 2025 are eligible for reimbursement.

The New York State Living Donor Support Program is the most generous donor reimbursement program in the country. It covers all eligible costs and lost wages for New Yorkers donating to New Yorkers. For donors earning above $120,000, reimbursement is capped at the $120,000 income level.

Advocacy for the game-changing End Kidney Deaths Act (HR 2687) also continues. The bill currently has 48 listed House cosponsors, with an additional 12 members who have committed to cosponsor but have not yet been formally added. Notably, two doctors, Rep. McCormick, MD and Rep. Van Drew, DDS, are now cosponsors.

A significant obstacle to passage is the need for a Democratic Senator to join Senator Moran as a co-lead. If you have any connections to Democratic Senate offices, I would greatly appreciate your help in making introductions. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at Elaine@waitlistzero.org.

To help get the End Kidney Deaths Act to the finish line, please sign our petition:

https://forms.gle/ZkVZ3wsZV7m3TVuu6

Thank you again for supporting this work and helping advance solutions that save lives.

I am pleased to share several updates on the progress of our work.

First, Waitlist Zero’s Honor Our Living Donors (HOLD) Act has successfully passed and is now federal law. The legislation passed unanimously on the House floor. This legislation addresses a major barrier to living kidney donation by fixing the low-income donor reimbursement system, which has prevented many otherwise willing donors from being able to donate.

While the law’s passage is an important milestone, implementation remains a challenge. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which administers the donor reimbursement program, has not yet indicated a timeline for implementing the changes required by the new law. I am currently working to encourage HRSA to implement this life-saving legislation as quickly as possible. Our experience with Waitlist Zero’s New York State Living Donor Support Act, which took nearly three years for the New York State Department of Health to implement after passage, underscores the importance of sustained engagement during the implementation phase.

Advocacy for the End Kidney Deaths Act (HR 2687) also continues. The bill currently has 48 listed House cosponsors, with an additional 11 members who have committed but have not yet been formally added. We have secured a Republican Senate co-lead, though we are still working to recruit a Democratic Senate co-lead. We have had over 1,000 meetings. For too many Congressional leaders, saving 10,000 Amerian lives and $4 billion in federal spending annually is not enough to make passing the bill a priority. If saving lives and saving money at the same time is not fulfilling the Congressional mission, what are their goals?

We commissioned a January, 2026 nationally representative NORC poll (University of Chicago) finds that 57 percent of Americans support the policy approach embodied in the End Kidney Deaths Act, while only 12 percent oppose it, a nearly five-to-one margin. This is unusually strong public backing for a major health care reform proposal and underscores that this is not only good policy, but also politically safe policy.

To sign out petition to pass the End Kidney Deaths Act, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/73N7Aj611PHJpdwQ6

To learn more, go to EndKidneyDeathsAct.org

Question? Email me at Elaine@WaitlistZero.org

Big thanks for supporting the work to end the kidney shortage. This is a bipartisan, solvable problem.

What progress have you made since your last update?

The End Kidney Deaths Act (H.R. 9275) was first introduced in August of 2024. We had 18 cosponsors. The legislation was reintroduced in April of 2025. We have 30 cosponsors so far.

The Honor Our Living Donors Act (H.R. 628/ S.5504) has been reintroduced.

We hosted a Lobby Day in DC on 9/12/24. We will host another Lobby Day in DC on 10/22/25. If you can attend, email me at: Elaine@WaitlistZero.org

What are your next steps?

I have spoken with 530+ Congressional offices. We have until December of 2026 to get the legislation passed. Up to 100,000 lives and $37 in taxes will be saved in ten year. We must get this done.

Is there anything others could help you with?

If you want to help us advocate to end the shortage of transplantable kidneys that kills around 1000 Americans each month, go to EndKidneyDeaths.org and join our team. Please call your House Representatives and Senators about cosponsoring the legislation. Write to me for instructions.

Legislation that saves lives and money include lead pipe replacement, tobacco, and childhood vaccination programs. Please help get pass this much needed and overdue law. Thank You!

What progress have you made since your last update?

The End Kidney Deaths Act (H.R. 9275) was reintroduced in August of 2024. We had 18 cosponsors. The legislation will be reintroduced in March or April of 2025.

The Honor Our Living Donors Act (H.R. 628/ S.5504) has been reintroduced.

We hosted a Lobby Day in DC on 9/12/24.

What are your next steps?

I have spoken with 500+ Congressional offices. We are hoping to get the End Kidney Deaths Act included in the spring tax package.

Is there anything others could help you with?

If you want to help us advocate to end the shortage of transplantable kidneys that kills around 1000 Americans each month, go to EndKidneyDeaths.org and join our team. Please call your House Representatives and Senators about cosponsoring the legislation.

This is a document that provides the phone numbers of Congressional leaders and the names of the leaders we have not yet met with. Thank You!

In 2024, the HOLD Act (H.R. 6020) passed unanimously in the House Health Subcommittee, Energy and Commerce Committee and the House floor. The legislation was included in the end of year package, but cut on the final day. The legislation has been reintroduced by Reps. DelBene and Obernolte.

The End Kidney Deaths Act (H.R. 9275) was introduced in August and had 18 cosponsors. It will be reintroduced shortly. The plan is for the legislation to be included in the spring, 2025 tax package.

Super project to help people focus on the most urgent issues. Longtime fan.

What progress have you made since your last update?

Both the End Kidney Deaths Act and the Honor our Living Donors Act were introduced in the House of Representatives

What are your next steps?

Hosting a Lobby Day in DC on 9/12. Meeting with Congressional leaders' staffers to persuade them to cosponsor the bills.

Is there anything others could help you with?

If you want to help us advocate to end the shortage of transplantable kidneys that kills around 1000 Americans each month, go to EndKidneyDeaths.org and join our team.