SACRAMENTO – AB 1967, authored by Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles), has been signed by Governor Jerry Brown. The legislation increases efforts to educate students about organ donation, and to increase significantly the number of individuals who choose to become organ donors when applying for a California Driver’s License.

“This law will help educate young people about the importance of organ and tissue donation so that they can make an informed decision about an important lifesaving opportunity, and provide new hope to more than 20,000 Californians who are waiting for organ transplants,” Pérez said.

“Organ donation is a very important and personal issue to me because it impacted my own family,” he added.  “In the final years of my mother’s life, I sat with her through many dialysis treatments. Watching people waiting patiently for an organ to become available affected me and my family deeply, which is why we later chose to donate my father’s organs after he passed away.”

Last year, Pérez was honored by Donate Life and awarded as the Outstanding Legislator of the Year for his commitment to authoring legislation that helps save lives through organ donation.

AB 1967 will direct the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission to ensure that the health and science framework, as appropriate, adopted in the course of the next submission cycle includes the subject of organ procurement and tissue donation.

CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2408