Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New Law In NYS To Encourage Organ Donation

(AP)  A new law in New York state aims to make it easier to sign up to be an organ or tissue donor. 

The measure, signed into law on Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, will ask anyone signing up for coverage through the state's health insurance exchange if they'd like to register as a donor. 

Currently, only one in four eligible New Yorkers is registered. That's the second lowest participation rate in the nation. 

The law's sponsor, Sen. Kemp Hannon, says nearly 10,000 people in the state are on now on a waiting list for available organs or tissue. 

The state already allows potential donors to sign up when getting a driver's license or registering to vote

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.