Living Donor Protection Act update for donor families and transplant patients
Here is where things stand today, April 23, 2026.
The Living Donor Protection Act LDPA moved forward on February 26, 2026, when the Senate HELP Committee voted to advance S.1552. (National Kidney Foundation)
On March 11, 2026, it was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar for a full Senate vote. (BillTrack50)
As of today, it has not passed the full Senate, it has not passed the House, and it has not been signed into law. (BillTrack50)
What the bill is all about
Insurance protections
This bill says life, disability, and long term care insurers cannot deny coverage or raise premiums just because someone chose to be a living organ donor, unless there is a specific, unique actuarial reason tied to that person. (U.S. Senate HELP Committee)
Job and leave protections
It makes it unmistakably clear that recovery from living donation qualifies under FMLA, so donors can take time to heal without gambling with their job or benefits. (U.S. Senate HELP Committee)
Better public education
It directs HHS to update living donation education so people get straight answers on benefits, risks, and protections, not confusion and mixed messages. (U.S. Senate HELP Committee)
What this means in real life for living donors
For families considering living donation, the fear is not just surgery. It is the aftershock. A higher premium. A policy that suddenly gets harder to obtain. Time off work that turns into workplace pressure. This bill goes right at those points of stress, and it does it with basic fairness.
It tells living donors you should not be treated like a liability for doing something life saving. It tells employers and insurers that living donor status, by itself, is not a reason to punish someone. That is why so many patient and medical organizations have pushed for this for years, including the National Kidney Foundation, the American Liver Foundation, and the American Medical Association. (National Kidney Foundation)
Where it goes from here
The next step is a full Senate vote on S.1552. (BillTrack50)
In the House, the companion bills H.R.4583 and H.R.4582 still need to move through committee and to the floor. (National Kidney Foundation)
Then, if both chambers pass matching language, it goes to the President to be signed into law.
Why National Friends is sharing this
Friends of the National Liver Waiting List exists for the people living inside this journey, donor families, pre listed patients, listed patients, and transplant survivors. We share practical information, we help people feel less alone, and we advocate for changes that make donation safer and more supported.
This is tremendous news because it is progress that protects real people. If you want to follow updates and resources as this moves, we will keep posting them on The National Friends Post and at nationalfriends.org.