STATEMENT
Media Contact:
Jenny Daigle | jdaigle@aopo.org

AOPO Commemorates 40th Anniversary of Federal Law Creating the U.S. Organ Donation and Transplantation System and Saving Over 1 Million Lives

McLean, VA (Oct. 21, 2024) – The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) is proud to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA), the landmark legislation effectively creating one of the most unique sectors of American health care – the organ donation and transplantation system responsible for protecting donors, sharing their gifts equitably, increasing life-saving transplants, driving donor registration, and advancing the field.

Prior to NOTA, which was signed into law on October 19, 1984, the process of matching organ donors with patients was haphazard and fraught with concerns about organ profiteering. In addition to outlawing the buying and selling of organs, NOTA funded, expanded, and brought under federal oversight an emerging network of organ procurement organizations (OPOs), the nonprofits that recover organs, transport them to patients, and advocate for donors and their families.

For 40 years, NOTA has been the cornerstone of a system recognized worldwide as a model of collaboration and innovation. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the nation’s OPOs, donor hospitals, and transplant centers, over one million lives have been saved through transplantation. In 2023 alone, OPOs recovered more than 43,000 organs from 16,000 deceased donors for successful transplants, a milestone representing 13 consecutive years of growth in deceased donation.

Also in 2023, the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act was signed into law, amending the language of NOTA to allow for-profit entities to run the system for the first time. While AOPO supports HRSA’s efforts to strengthen the system through this amended law, we call on Congress to safeguard the foundational principle of NOTA: the decisions and dignity of donors, their families, and patients who benefit from their gifts always come before profit.

As we look to the next 40 years, AOPO is more committed than ever to achieving our goal of 50,000 annual organ transplants in 2026. We will continue to build public trust and advance innovation in organ donation to ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in this field. AOPO stands ready to work with HRSA, Congress, and other stakeholders to honor the legacies of donor heroes and maintain our nation’s system as a beacon of excellence worldwide.

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About the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO)
The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) is the not-for-profit trade association leading the nation’s organ donation community to save and improve lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation. Founded in 1984, AOPO advances organ donation and transplantation by driving continual improvement of the donation process, collaborating with stakeholders, and sharing successful practices with its 47 member OPOs. AOPO envisions a future where every opportunity for donation results in lives saved. For more information, please visit www.aopo.org.