DNR Hopes To Attract More Organ Donors With New License Program

DNR Hopes To Attract More Organ Donors With New License Program

By Claire Castillo

TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS—Hoosiers applying for their hunting, fishing and trapping licenses now have the option to register as organ and tissue donors, an effort to help shrink the size of the national waiting list.

Gov. Eric Holcomb authorized the new options in March 2020, and they took effect July 7.

“This is a big step forward for donation in our state,” said Tim Clauson, board president of Donate Life Indiana. “One of our primary goals is increasing the number of registered donors in Indiana, and we’re excited to expand this opportunity to the hunting, fishing and trapping community.”

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources paired with Donate Life Indiana to encourage more Hoosiers to donate their organs to help save lives.

“We are proud to be a part of this important mission and hope that our hunters, anglers and trappers participate in this lifesaving program that will benefit all Hoosiers,” said Dan Bortner, director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

There are currently 107,000 people in the United States waiting for an organ donation. If one person donates their organs, they can potentially save up to eight lives.

More than 4 million Hoosiers are registered as organ or tissue donors, with 99% of them processed through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Over 700,000 hunting and fishing licenses are sold annually in the state of Indiana, according to the government website, and the new program expects to add more donors as the year goes on.

Organdonor.gov said that over 90% of adults support organ donation, while only 60% are actually signed up as donors.

FOOTNOTE: Claire Castillo is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.