“We’re very proud of one of the policy initiatives that successfully made it through this year,” Tator said, referring to the HEART Act. “The legislation not only encourages patients to register with more than one transplant center, but it also requires transplant centers— under federal policy—to inform patients, both verbally and in writing, of their right to do so. This strengthens equity and fairness within the system,” she added, “and it also brings New York in line with national standards and practices.”
There have also been notable victories in the effort to increase organ donor registrations. In a 2024 press release, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that, for the first time, more than half of eligible New Yorkers had signed up to become organ and tissue donors through the state’s Organ Donor Registry. These reforms are especially relevant for minority populations because racial and ethnic disparities in organ donation and transplantation have been well documented.
Black and Hispanic Americans, for example, experience higher rates of conditions such as kidney failure but tend to wait significantly longer—often 18 to 24 months longer—than White patients for a transplant. Additionally, these communities have lower rates of donor registration, often due to historical mistrust of the medical system and lack of culturally sensitive outreach.
By improving system transparency, simplifying registration, and reducing economic barriers for living donors, these laws directly target factors that have contributed to inequitable outcomes. Furthermore, expanding donor participation within diverse communities increases the genetic diversity of available organs, which can improve matching and transplant success rates for minority patients.