Bill > HR22

This resolution urges the United States Congress to pass H.R. 2687, also known as the End Kidney Deaths Act, a bipartisan proposal aimed at addressing the critical issue of kidney disease and failure. The resolution highlights that kidney disease disproportionately affects people of color and that many individuals, including those in rural and low-income communities, die annually due to inequities in access to timely treatment, with thousands more dying while waiting for a kidney transplant. It explains that while dialysis can sustain life, it significantly diminishes quality of life and is a substantial financial burden on the federal government, costing approximately $50 billion annually. In contrast, kidney transplantation is a life-saving therapy that restores health and independence, saving the government an estimated $500,000 per transplant compared to the lifetime cost of dialysis, and has the potential to save thousands of lives and billions in healthcare spending each year. The End Kidney Deaths Act specifically proposes to allow for regulated, refundable tax credits for individuals who donate a kidney to a stranger, recognizing the burdens of donation while maintaining existing donor protections and encouraging non-directed living donation, which can initiate transplant chains that save multiple lives. The resolution also urges Hawaii's congressional delegation to support this act to save lives, reduce health inequities, and improve the sustainability of the nation's healthcare system.

Health and Social Services, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HR&billnumber=22&year=2026