Designates month of April of each year as "Donate Life Month."

AJR109 1R

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION

No. 109

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman HEATHER SIMMONS

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

Assemblywoman� SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Drulis and Assemblyman Freiman

SYNOPSIS

���� Designates month of April of each year as
"Donate Life Month."

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As reported by the Assembly Aging and Human Services
Committee on March 16, 2026, with amendments.

��

A Joint
Resolution

designating the month of
April each year as �Donate Life Month.�

Whereas,

Organ donation is a lifesaving service which can benefit thousands of New
Jersey residents and their families by giving the recipient a chance at life
when they are losing hope; and

Whereas,
People of
all ages, ethnic backgrounds and religions are affected by organ donation; and

Whereas,

Currently, there are nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents and over 100,000
Americans awaiting life-saving transplant operations; and

Whereas,

Every eight minutes someone in America is put on the organ transplant list, and
for some it may be a matter of life and death, as they suffer with end-stage
organ failure or survive a horrific accident; and

Whereas,

The serious shortage of available organs and tissue is a critical reason why 17
people die every day waiting for a transplant; and

Whereas,

Time is of the essence for individuals waiting for an organ transplant, and
increasing the number of donors will expand availability for organs as well as
increase diversity for matching donors to recipients; and

Whereas,

A single organ donor has the ability to save eight lives and enhance the lives
of over 75 others through tissue donation; and

Whereas,

In April 2003, the non-profit organization, Donate Life America, established
National Donate Life Month to help encourage people to register as organ, eye,
and tissue donors and celebrate those lives which have been saved by
transplants; and

Whereas,

Registering as an organ donor does not change the quality of health care an
individual receives throughout their lifetime; and

Whereas,

In
1
[
2022
]

2025
1
, the
1
State�s two nonprofit
organ

procurement organizations, the
1
NJ Sharing Network
1
and Gift of

Life Donor Program,
1
reported
that
there
was an all-time high record set in the State with
1
[
283
]

351
1
organ
donors saving
1
[
670
]

869
1
lives in addition to the
40,000 eye and tissue donations which improved the quality of the
recipients� lives; and

Whereas,

New Jersey residents can register as an organ and tissue donor at their local
Motor Vehicle Agency or through the National Donate Life Registry online; and

Whereas,

By devoting an entire month to recognizing the immense value of organ and
tissue donation as well as the consequences of failing to promote donor
registration, New Jersey is committed to bringing hope to those waiting for
these life-saving services and honors those who have made the decision to give
the gift of life to others; now, therefore,

����
Be It
Resolved
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� The month of April each
year is designated as �Donate Life Month� to promote organ donor registration
and celebrate the lives of those who have been impacted by organ donation.

���� 2.� The Governor is
respectfully requested to issue an annual proclamation calling upon public
officials, citizens of the State, and other interested groups to observe �Donate
Life Month� with appropriate programs and activities.

���� 3.� This joint resolution
shall take effect immediately.