{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=AF0F1145-DEA1-42E6-9D4D-74EDE5934829", "Sen. Moran Introduces Legislation to Break up Monopoly Contract for Organ Donation Network", "2023-05-18", "2023", "2023-05", "Republican", "Senate", "KS", "Jerry Moran", "M000934", "www.moran.senate.gov", "moran", "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) led the introduction of legislation to help break up the monopoly contract currently held by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to manage the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).\n\n\u201cFrom damaged organs to discriminatory organ donation policies, it\u2019s clear UNOS should no longer be the sole contractor for the organ donation system,\u201d said Sen. Moran. \u201cI have worked for years to shed light on the mismanagement of the organ donation system and have consistently called for the contract to be divided. This legislation helps provide greater transparency to the organ donation system and changes how the contract is divided, allowing HRSA to conduct a competitive bidding process for each contract. Every organ counts, and this legislation will help overhaul the system and save lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cMajor changes are needed to modernize the organ procurement system on behalf of Americans on the waiting list for an organ transplant that will save their lives,\u201d said Sen. Wyden. \u201cFor too long UNOS has had a stranglehold on this contract, and as the Finance Committee\u2019s investigation showed, that lack of accountability has had dire consequences. It\u2019s high time to bring in some competition so there can be more accountability and know-how to improve results and save lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cUNOS\u2019s monopoly over the U.S. organ donation system has been disastrous,\u201d said Sen. Grassley. \u201cDecades of corruption and mismanagement have left vulnerable patients to die on the waiting list while unused organs from generous American donors go to waste. Building on the Senate Finance Committee\u2019s investigation, I\u2019m committed to working with my bipartisan colleagues to advance long-overdue competition in this life and death area of health care.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe grave disparities in access to organ transplants are unconscionable,\u201d said Sen. Cardin. \u201cOur bipartisan bill will move us toward a more transparent and equitable system that will save lives by improving timely access to needed transplant organs, particularly for patients in underserved communities.\u201d\n\nThe legislation would remove barriers in OPTN contracting and give the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) statutory authority to improve management of the organ transplantation system in the U.S. The current OPTN contract is set to expire September 30, 2023, making the proposed changes urgent and timely for HRSA to make meaningful reforms.\n\nAdditional co-sponsors include Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).\n\nA two-page summary of the bill can be found here. A section by section can be found here.\n\nTimeline of Sen. Moran\u2019s involvement in ending the UNOS contract:\n\nSeptember 2022: Sen. Moran publishes op-ed in Modern Healthcare titled, \u201cCompetition needed to address a flawed organ donation system\u201d\n\nJanuary 2022: Sens. Moran and Blunt lead 14 senators in demanding Biden administration reverse its \u201cbiased, partial, and unjust\u201d National Liver Distribution Policy\n\nDecember 2021: Sens. Moran and Blunt publish op-ed in the Kansas City Star titled, \u201cSystem for liver plants is rigged against those who live in the Midwest or South\u201d\n\nDecember 2021: Sens. Moran and Blunt demand HHS reverse flawed liver allocation policy\n\nFebruary 2020: Sen. Moran speaks on Senate Floor regarding harmful national liver allocation policy\n\nJanuary 2020: Sens. Moran and Blunt urge HHS to continue delaying changes to National Liver Distribution Policy\n\nAugust 2019: Sens. Moran and Blunt press HHS Secretary Azar on proposed changes to kidney, pancreas allocation policies\n\nMay 2019: Sens. Moran and Blunt call for delay in Liver Allocation Policy pending GAO study\n\nApril 2019: Sen. Moran questions HHS Secretary Azar on liver allocation policy\n\nJanuary 2019: Sens. Moran and Blunt, 20 Senate colleagues demand answers on changes to National Liver Distribution Policy\n\nDecember 2018: Sens. Moran and Blunt challenge flawed changes to National Liver Distribution Policy\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:07:47Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=AF0F1145-DEA1-42E6-9D4D-74EDE5934829"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8597389571368694, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}