Credit: Submitted
A family emergency for a local lawmaker has lead to the introduction of a measure which calls for tax deductions for living organ donors.
State Rep. John Galloway (D-Bucks) on Wednesday introduced legislation which provides for a personal state tax deduction for uncovered expenses incurred by a living organ donor during the donor process, a press release announced.
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The bill (H.B. 127) was inspired by a family medical emergency which brought the need for the tax deduction to Galloway’s attention.
“I am calling this bill Monica’s Bill, in honor of my cousin, who donated a kidney to my 3-year-old nephew,” Galloway said. “Monica was considered a good match for donating and she was happy to undergo the procedure. Her part in the donating process required two trips to California with hotel and other living expenses in California before and after the procedure and one month lost pay at her job. Her company may qualify for a tax deduction for allowing her the time off, but she receives no financial support for the prohibitive expenses she has incurred. It is a major imbalance that a business can earn tax deductions for allowing an employee the time to make the donation, but the person who shares their organ gets no opportunity to recoup their expenses. Fixing this oversight may well encourage more living donations.”
An organ donation recipient’s insurance will pay the costs of the medical procedures required for the donor, but the other expenses are the responsibility of the donor, according to the release.
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The bill would cap the deduction at $10,000 per donation and at least 10 other states have laws on the books that provide tax incentives for donors, the release said.
“The most common living organ donations are for a single kidney or a section of a liver and also bone marrow. For more information regarding organ donation in general, I encourage constituents to visit the website www.donatelifepa.org,” Galloway said.
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Living donation occurs when a living person donates an organ for transplantation, such as a kidney or segment of the lung, liver, pancreas or intestine. Living donors may be blood relatives, emotionally related individuals or altruistic strangers. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there were 337 living organ donations made in Pennsylvania last year.
The proposed legislation was referred to the House Finance Committee.
