Skip navigation to main content.

7,937,017 New Yorkers have joined the NYS Donate Life Registry

2023 Legislative Agenda

Since 2010, Donate Life NYS has partnered with the legislature to expand opportunities for New Yorkers to enroll in the NYS Donate Life Registry. The innovative ‘Doorways to Donation’ shown here have generated nearly one million enrollments to date.

Thank you for your consideration of this policy request. Your leadership and support gives hope to the 7,917 patients and families across New York waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant and the thousands of others in need of healing tissue and cornea transplants. 

Donate Life NYS’ Legislative Agenda One-Pager

View

Donate Life NYS’ Legislative Agenda

View

Map of Donor Designation Share by county

View

Shared Success

Thanks to the Legislature’s support we’ve made significant progress:

  • The NYS Donate Life Registry reached 7 million enrollments in March 2022.
  • The percentage of the state’s population enrolled in the Registry grew from 20% to 45%.
  • The number of deceased organ donors grew from 346 in 2012 to 573 in 2021.
  • The number of lives saved by deceased donor transplants grew from 1,331 in 2012 to 2,568 in 2021

We Have More Work to Do

Just 45% of New Yorkers are enrolled as
organ, eye, and tissue donors. To reach the national average, NYS needs to add 2,897,213 enrollments to the Registry.

2022 Doorways to Donation

This legislation integrates the donor designation question into administrative processes by which individuals obtain, renew, and manage their health insurance coverage. Allowing New Yorkers to join the Registry during the process of enrolling in and managing their health insurance offers an ideal venue, as they are already considering healthcare options and choices.

We urge the legislature to continue this positive trajectory by co-sponsoring supporting the Doorways to Donation Act of 2022 (S.8805 Breslin/A. Bill # Pending Gunther), which provides increased opportunities for New Yorkers to document their decision to give the gift of life and enroll in the NYS Donate Life Registry during the process of acquiring and managing health insurance.