PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

H.R. 399: Organ Donation Improvement Act of 2003

Before you vote › Federal bills

H.R. 399: Organ Donation Improvement Act of 2003

108th Congress · introduced 2003-01-28 · Health · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2003-01-28 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Bilirakis, Michael [R-FL-9] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: 1 recorded vote in our records. Latest: House roll call 59 (2003): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, HR399 (2003-03-12), Passed. See all
  4. Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Organ Donation Improvement Act of 2003

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced in the House on January 28, 2003. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Organ Donation Improvement Act of 2003 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants or contracts to States, transplant centers, qualified organ procurement organizations, or other public or private entities for the purpose of providing payment for: (1) travel and subsistence expenses incurred by individuals toward living donations of their organs; and (2) such incidental nonmedical expenses that are so incurred as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. Sets forth payment eligibility criteria and limitations, including that payments may be made for the qualifying expenses of a donating individual only if: (1) the State in which the donating individual resides is a different State than the State in which the intended recipient of the organ resides; and (2) the annual income of the intended recipient of the organ does not exceed $35,000. (Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary to (directly or through grants or contracts) carry out a program to educate the public with respect to organ donation, including the need to provide for an adequate rate of such donations. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to public and nonprofit private entities for the purpose of carrying out studies and demonstration projects with respect to providing for an adequate rate of organ donation. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to States for the purpose of assisting States in carrying out organ donor awareness, public education and outreach activities and programs designed to increase the number of organ donors within a State, including living donors. Authorizes appropriations.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House without amendment), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Organ Donation Improvement Act of 2003

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House without amendment)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Bilirakis, Michael [R-FL-9] · 10 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 399, Organ Donation Improvement Act of 2003 (2003-02-10); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 399, Organ Donation Improvement Act of 2003 (2003-02-10)

Cosponsors on this site

Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ)

Recorded votes

Words on this page, explained (2)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong108-hr399 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108