The resolution calls on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider the implementation of new rules regarding organ procurement organizations (OPOs). These rules, adopted in December 2020, aim to revise outcome measure requirements and establish competitive bidding processes for OPOs, which play a crucial role in the organ donation and transplantation system. The resolution highlights concerns that these changes could disrupt the existing organ procurement network, potentially leading to fewer organ donations and transplants, particularly affecting patients from racial and ethnic minorities who already face disparities in access to transplants.

The resolution emphasizes that while the intention behind the new rules is to improve organ donation rates, the proposed competitive bidding and decertification processes may create uncertainty and hinder OPOs' core missions. It argues that instead of fostering improvements, the decertification of underperforming OPOs could burden remaining organizations and disrupt services in designated service areas. The General Assembly expresses the need for a careful reconsideration of these rules to avoid negative impacts on the organ procurement and transplantation systems, ensuring that all patients, especially those from marginalized communities, have equitable access to lifesaving organ transplants.