Government

Working together to strengthen legislation

Gift of Life Michigan is committed to taking an active role in donation and transplantation legislation in Michigan. Because organ and tissue donation in the United States is overseen and partially regulated by the federal government, we also work very hard to keep up with pending laws in Washington, D.C. Those laws affect everything we do at Gift of Life from routine paperwork to following life-saving protocols.

          Former state Sen. Laura Toy, 6th Dist., welcomes WXYZ-TV Channel 7 News Anchor Diana Lewis
          to the Capitol in Lansing to talk about the critical need for organ donation.


Our legislative partners

We’re proud to work with state and federal legislators and other elected officials who support organ, eye and tissue donation. They help improve the process for donors and their families and save lives.

Legislators aren’t the only ones who make a difference in government. Our donor families, organ, eye and tissue recipients, volunteers and partner organizations have powerful voices.

To help you learn about key legislation, we encourage you to visit the People Like Us web site. It’s a crucial source of information about federal bills and a way to join others in taking our causes to the nation’s leaders. With online advocacy alerts and advice on how to talk with your senators and representatives, the network provides a constant connection to events in the nation’s capitol.

Click here to join the group or call 800.622.9010 and mention that Gift of Life Michigan sent you.


How to contact your elected official

The best way to be heard is to meet your senator or representative in person. Try to attend meetings in your community when your elected official is home sharing what’s going on in Lansing. If you can’t do that, a letter or email explaining who you are and why you support a bill is the next best form of contact. You can also call their office, but not all calls are returned.

Michigan government:

Federal lawmakers:


Tips for encouraging elected officials to support a bill:

  • Mention the bill under consideration by name.
  • Ask them to support the legislation and tell them why you feel so strongly about it. Tell your story.
  • If you can find them, include relevant statistics to back up your stance.
  • Thank them for their support.
  • Copy Gift of Life Michigan on any correspondence.

If you have questions or need more information about a bill or the legislative process, please email Governance Liaison Amy Olszewski or call her at 734.922.1014.