Senator Daley asked and was granted unanimous consent to make a statement and moved that the statement be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Daley’s statement is as follows:
First off, thank you to all the colleagues who’ve just voted for this bill that was passed. I meant to speak before it got up, but it came up rather quickly.
I do obviously support the bill that allows physicians to provide information on becoming bone marrow or organ and tissue donors to patients who are interested. According to the study conducted by Gift of Life Michigan in 2022, there were 2,517 people waiting for transplants in Michigan alone. While some indicate the number of registered donors has increased in recent years, there were fewer matches made overall. Every new donor helps increase the likelihood that a patient in need of a donation will get help finding a life-saving match.
As many of you know, my son Thomas was killed 15 years ago in a tree-cutting accident on our farm. He helped mold my position on organ donation, and we became very strong proponents for organ donation. It’s important for me to help people save their lives. When we lost our son Thomas, it was very important to us to know that there were four other families who were allowed to enjoy and live longer because of his life.
For those who choose to register, it offers something powerful: the chance to be the reason someone gets a second chance at life. This bill is not a mandate. It is completely voluntary. Awareness is the first step towards saving a life.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 481, entitled
A bill to amend 2016 PA 62, entitled “Human trafficking notification act,” by amending sections 2, 3, and 5 (MCL 752.1032, 752.1033, and 752.1035).
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows: