Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act

Jun 17, 2026

Summary

Makes it illegal for healthcare providers to deny an organ transplant to a person just because they have a mental or physical disability.

What problem does this solve?

Some people with disabilities have been denied life-saving organ transplants because of unfair judgments about their quality of life or ability to care for themselves. This bill makes sure that a person's disability alone cannot be the reason they are denied a chance to receive an organ.

What does this bill do?

Prohibits discrimination in organ transplants

Forbids healthcare providers from deciding a person is ineligible for an organ transplant, denying them a transplant, or refusing to put them on a waiting list just because of a disability.

Allows exceptions for medically significant conditions

Permits a doctor to consider a disability only if an evaluation shows it is medically important to the success of the transplant. A person cannot be denied a transplant if they have a support network to help them.

Requires reasonable changes to policies

Requires hospitals and clinics to make sensible changes to their rules and practices to make organ transplants available to people with disabilities, unless doing so would completely change how they operate.

Establishes an enforcement process

Allows a person who believes they were discriminated against to file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services for a quick review.

Defines support networks and supported decision-making

Recognizes that family, friends, and caregivers can help a person with a disability follow medical instructions after a transplant. It requires providers to consider this support system when making decisions.

Who does this affect?

Individuals with physical or mental disabilities
Organ transplant centers and healthcare providers
Families and caregivers of people with disabilities

What is the real world impact?

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Ensures equal access to life-saving care

Provides clear legal protection for individuals with disabilities, making sure they are not unfairly denied organ transplants based on their condition. It reinforces the idea that a person's disability should not disqualify them from receiving medical care.

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Clarifies medical decision-making

Requires doctors to base transplant decisions on medical facts directly related to the transplant's success, not on assumptions about a person's disability. It also formally recognizes the role of family and friends as a support system for post-transplant care.

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May create new legal challenges for providers

Healthcare providers might face more lawsuits if they deny a transplant to a person with a disability, even for valid medical reasons. They will need to be very careful to document that the denial was not based on the disability itself, which could add complexity to the process.

When does this start?

The rules in this bill would take effect as soon as it is signed into law.