AAKP Launches Campaign to Pass Living Donor Protection Act

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) has launched a robust grassroots campaign to support the passage of the Living Donor Protection Act (LDPA), S. 1552/H.R. 4582 and H.R. 4583, in 2026. This bipartisan legislation aims to protect living organ donors from job and insurance discrimination based on their decision to donate a kidney.

The LDPA is being championed by Senators Tom Cotton (R-AK) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). The bill was recently voted out of the Senate HELP Committee with full bipartisan support, reflecting a collaborative effort between lawmakers and patient advocacy groups. AAKP, alongside a coalition of transplant experts and patient organizations, is working to secure the bill's passage.

The LDPA builds on a 2018 milestone when the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protections for living organ donors. AAKP recognized the DOL's efforts by awarding career civil servants within the DOL Wage and Hour Division with its prestigious National Public Service Award, the first of its kind within the kidney community.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 37 million Americans are living with kidney disease, nearly 600,000 are receiving dialysis treatment for kidney failure, and over 90,000 are awaiting a kidney transplant. Kidney transplants remain the preferred therapy for those medically eligible over status quo and high mortality dialysis treatments.

AAKP's efforts extend beyond the LDPA. The organization is also coordinating its campaign with allied organizations such as the Renal Physicians Association (RPA), the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), the American Society of Transplantation (AST), the Organization for Donation and Transplant Professionals (NATCO), the Rare Kidney Disease Foundation (RKDF), the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), and many others. AAKP's LDPA efforts coincide with its 2026 national nonpartisan KidneyVoter™ registration campaign, "50 States in 50 Days," encouraging KidneyVoters™ to use their voices, votes, and social media circles to mobilize like-minded voters and support policies that positively impact the health, continued employment, and lives of both organ donors and kidney patients.

In 2024, AAKP engaged over 500,000 KidneyVoters™, resulting in a new "micro-constituency" within the American electorate, according to election experts. AAKP provides advocacy skill and social media training for patients and organ donors through its Center for Patient Engagement and Advocacy, engaging regularly with Congressional leaders on various committees.

The LDPA is part of a broader effort to address the organ shortage crisis and improve transplant readiness among kidney patients. AAKP's commitment to this cause reflects its dedication to removing barriers to increased living organ donation and improving the lives of kidney patients.