Sponsor
Ronald Lee Wyden
Senator · D-OR
The bill increases transparency and helps stabilize funding for organ transplant network operations—improving information and continuity of services—but does so by authorizing new fees that raise costs for hospitals and risk being passed on to patients while altering HHS budget accounting.
Hospitals and transplant centers will have steadier, more predictable funding for OPTN operations because collected fees remain available until expended, reducing reliance on annual reauthorization and helping maintain transplant system capacity.
Transplant candidates and patients gain more timely, actionable transplant-activity information through a dashboard updated more frequently than annually, improving their ability to make informed decisions and coordinate care.
Hospitals, patients, and the public get greater transparency and accountability because HHS will publicly post quarterly the amounts collected and the activities funded with OPTN fees.
Transplant candidates and patients could face higher out-of-pocket costs if hospitals or insurers pass through new per-candidate registration fees, increasing financial barriers to evaluation or listing.
Hospitals and transplant centers will face increased operational costs from new per-candidate registration fees, potentially straining budgets and resources.
Requiring fee distributions to be conditioned on future appropriations could delay or limit timely funding to OPTN awardees despite fees being collected, undermining steady support for transplant activities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Permits HHS to collect per-candidate registration fees from OPTN members, requires quarterly public reporting, and mandates a GAO review within two years.
Senator · D-OR
Official title: Authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect registration fees from members of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, and for other purposes.
Introduced September 10, 2025 by Ronald Lee Wyden · Last progress September 10, 2025
Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect registration fees from any Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) member for each transplant candidate placed on the national waiting list, requires quarterly public posting of fee amounts and supported activities, and directs a Comptroller General review and report within two years. Also directs OPTN to consider a transplant dashboard updated more frequently than annually and makes minor clarifying edits to existing statute language.