Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in the organ transplant system.

This bill prohibits covered entities from determining that an individual is ineligible to receive a transplant or denying a transplant based solely on the fact that the individual has a disability.

The bill is named after Charlotte Woodward, an advocate with Down syndrome who received a lifesaving heart transplant a decade ago. Since then, she has advocated tirelessly to ensure that others living with Down syndrome and other disabilities have the same access to lifesaving care that she did.

Unfortunately, there have been too many instances in which individuals with disabilities have been denied a lifesaving organ transplant, and this is unacceptable.

Congress has the opportunity to help ensure that individuals with disabilities are treated fairly within the organ transplant system. No one, Mr. Speaker--no one--should be denied access to an organ transplant just because they have a disability.

That is why I am proud to support this bill, which will make sure that all Americans, no matter their disability status, will be able to receive the access to care that they need and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friends, Representative Cammack and Representative Dingell, for their leadership on this important issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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