HB 128, Gracie’s Law; is legislation that finds
(1) A mental or physical disability does not diminish a person’s right to health care;
(2) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. Section 12101 et seq., prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities, yet many individuals with disabilities still experience discrimination in accessing critical health care services;
(3) In other states, individuals with physical or mental disabilities have been denied lifesaving organ transplants based on assumptions that their lives are less worthy, that they are incapable of complying with post-transplant medical requirements, or that they lack adequate support systems to ensure compliance with post-transplant medical requirements;
(4) Although organ transplant centers shall consider medical and psychosocial criteria when determining if a patient is suitable to receive an organ transplant, transplant centers that participate in Medicare, Medicaid, or other federally funded programs are required to use patient selection criteria that result in a fair and non-discriminatory distribution of organs; and (5) Georgia residents in need of organ transplants are entitled to assurances that they will not encounter discrimination on the basis of a disability.
To read more on Gracie’s law go to the Georgia Recorder and read the articcle by Jill Nolan: https://georgiarecorder.com/2020/02/17/gracies-law-aims-to-protect-organ-access-for-georgians-with-disabilities/