This legislation grants the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to collect registration fees from members of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) for each transplant candidate placed on the national waiting list. These fees are specifically designated to support the operation of the OPTN and are authorized to remain available until expended. To ensure accountability, the Secretary must promptly post on the OPTN website the amount of fees collected from each member and a detailed list of activities supported by these funds, with quarterly updates. A review by the Comptroller General is mandated within two years to assess these fee collection activities and report findings to Congress. The authority to collect these registration fees includes a sunset clause , expiring three years after the bill's enactment. The bill also enhances OPTN's operational efficiency by encouraging the integration of electronic health records systems among hospitals, organ procurement organizations, and transplant centers to facilitate automated referrals and remote access to donor information, while adhering to HIPAA. Furthermore, the OPTN is directed to consider establishing a public dashboard to display comprehensive and frequently updated transplant statistics.
Computers and information technologyCongressional oversightGovernment studies and investigationsHealth information and medical recordsOrgan and tissue donation and transplantationUser charges and fees
OPTN Fee Collection Authority Act
USA119th CongressS-532| Senate
| Updated: 2/12/2025
This legislation grants the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to collect registration fees from members of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) for each transplant candidate placed on the national waiting list. These fees are specifically designated to support the operation of the OPTN and are authorized to remain available until expended. To ensure accountability, the Secretary must promptly post on the OPTN website the amount of fees collected from each member and a detailed list of activities supported by these funds, with quarterly updates. A review by the Comptroller General is mandated within two years to assess these fee collection activities and report findings to Congress. The authority to collect these registration fees includes a sunset clause , expiring three years after the bill's enactment. The bill also enhances OPTN's operational efficiency by encouraging the integration of electronic health records systems among hospitals, organ procurement organizations, and transplant centers to facilitate automated referrals and remote access to donor information, while adhering to HIPAA. Furthermore, the OPTN is directed to consider establishing a public dashboard to display comprehensive and frequently updated transplant statistics.
Computers and information technologyCongressional oversightGovernment studies and investigationsHealth information and medical recordsOrgan and tissue donation and transplantationUser charges and fees