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WNY lawmakers support “Doorways to Donation”

The New York State Assembly and Senate have passed legislation important to providing residents with new opportunities to register as organ, eye and tissues donors. ConnectLife is especially grateful to the representatives from Western New York who voted in favor of these bills.


The 2026 Doorways to Donation Act (A10299A/S8841) would enable New Yorkers to register as a donor when filing their annual income tax returns online. The strategy of providing additional donor registry options – from voter forms to fishing licenses – has proven effective.


A bipartisan group of state legislators joined leadership from Donate Life New York State for a press conference in support of the 2026 Doorways to Donation Act.
A bipartisan group of state legislators joined leadership from Donate Life New York State for a press conference in support of the 2026 Doorways to Donation Act.

“Thanks to our strong coalition of advocates, we have more than doubled our donor enrollment numbers in the past decade,” said Aisha Tator, Executive Director of Donate Life New York State. “We have momentum, but we still trail behind. To meet the national average registration rate, we need 2.3 million more New Yorkers to enroll as donors.”


ConnectLife joined Donate Life New York State for meetings with state lawmakers, sharing the stories of organ donors and transplant recipients.


State Senators voting in favor of the bill included Western New York delegates April N.M. Baskin (Buffalo), Patrick M. Gallivan (Elma), Thomas F. O'Mara (Elmira), Robert G. Ortt (Lockport) and Jeremy J. Zellner (Buffalo). Senator Gallivan also voted to advance the bill from the Senate Health Committee.


Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski (Olean) and Assemblywoman Andrea K. Bailey (Avon) were co-sponsors of the bill. Assemblyman Patrick Chludzinski (Cheektowaga) helped the bill move beyond the Assembly Health Committee. Assembly Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes and Assemblyman Stephen Hawley (Albion) supported the bill in the Rules Committee. Hawley also supported the bill in the Ways and Means Committee. (Assembly floor vote details are not currently available.)


The bill will be sent to Governor Kathy Hochul. If signed, it would take effect in 180 days.




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