Driver’s education programs to include valuable information about organ and tissue donation
Law that mandates organ and tissue donation education will help new drivers understand they have the power to save and improve lives
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Governor Jennifer Granholm has signed a new law that will make organ and tissue donation a required part of driver’s education programs and ultimately help save lives.
“Choosing to become an organ and tissue donor is one of the first privileges a new driver has,” said Richard Pietroski, chief executive officer of Gift of Life Michigan, the state’s full-service organ recovery organization. “This education will help them understand that lives can be saved and improved by their decisions.”
Public Act 16 of 2010, which Governor Granholm signed into law on March 18, mandates organ and tissue donation education in driver's education classes. Instructors will be required to show or distribute educational materials approved by Gift of Life to their students.
Under the bill sponsored by Senator John Gleason of GeneseeCounty, Gift of Life and the donation community will cover all costs associated with the program. Driver’s education teachers and government agencies will incur no expenses for materials needed to educate new drivers about organ and tissue donation.
“This gives hope to the 3,000 people in Michigan awaiting a life-saving organ transplant and the thousands of others who rely on donated tissue and corneas to improve their well-being,” Pietroski said.
