AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 23, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

96

CHAPTER 60

Statutes of 2025

[ Approved by Governor July 28, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State July 28, 2025. ]

Introduced by Assembly Member Solache

February 6, 2025

An act to add Section 66027.41 to the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: yes

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as the 3 segments of public postsecondary education in this state.

Existing law authorizes the creation of a not-for-profit entity to be designated as the California Organ and Tissue Donor Registrar and requires the registrar to establish and maintain the California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, known as the Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. Existing law requires the registry to contain information regarding persons who have identified themselves as organ and tissue donors upon their death.

This bill would require the Trustees of the California State University and request the Regents of the University of California to provide, for all campuses of their respective segments, and require each campus of the California Community Colleges to provide, educational information about Donate Life California and the Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry to all incoming students. The bill would authorize a campus to disseminate this educational information in a manner that best fits the needs of the campus and its student population, as specified. The bill would require Donate Life California to provide all necessary resources to assist in the dissemination of the educational information, based on the needs of the campus, and would require Donate Life California to be available to confer and collaborate on an ongoing basis with all campuses. To the extent that the bill would impose new duties on community college districts, it would constitute a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Donate Life California is the state-authorized nonprofit organization responsible for managing the organ, eye, and tissue donor registry.

(b) Donate Life California partners with four organ procurement organizations that facilitate the donation process in the hospital, and with the donor family, and works with the United Network for Organ Sharing to get the organs matched appropriately.

(c) California has a great need for organs and donors with over 20,000 people waiting for a life-saving transplant, accounting for about 20 percent of the national waiting list.

(d) Since 2006, Donate Life California has partnered with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to help register Californians for the California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry through the inclusion of a question on the application for an original or renewal driver’s license or identification card. This partnership, pursuant to Section 12811.3 of the Vehicle Code, has built the largest organ and tissue donor registry in the country with over 19,500,000 registered donors. Over 98 percent of these donors signed up at the DMV.

(e) There has been a notable decline in the number of young Americans applying for driver’s licenses. A study by the Federal Highway Administration shows that the number of people 16 and 17 years of age with driver’s licenses declined roughly 18 percent and the number of people 20 to 25 years of age, inclusive, with driver’s licenses declined roughly 10 percent.

(f) For these reasons, legislation that will provide education about Donate Life California and the opportunity for registration is important and has the potential to save lives.

SEC. 2.

Section 66027.41 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 66027.4, to read:

66027.41.

(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Donate Life California” means the nonprofit organization established and designated as the California Organ and Tissue Donor Registrar pursuant to Section 7150.90 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) “Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry” means the registry established pursuant to Section 7150.90 of the Health and Safety Code.

(b) The Trustees of the California State University shall provide, and the Regents of the University of California are requested to provide, for all campuses of their respective segments, and each campus of the California Community Colleges shall provide, educational information about Donate Life California and the Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry to all incoming students.

(c) A campus may disseminate the educational information described in subdivision (b) in a manner that best fits the needs of the campus and its student population, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(1) During the campus orientation process.

(2) Via a short message system (SMS) alert to students.

(3) In health centers.

(4) Via a webinar.

(5) Via a school newsletter.

(6) On the campus’ internet website.

(7) Via a campus event.

(8) When a student is registering for student health insurance or health or wellness plans, or providing insurance or immunization records to the campus.

(9) In health promotional programming.

(d) Donate Life California shall provide all necessary resources, written or electronic, to assist with the dissemination of educational information pursuant to subdivision (c), based on the needs of the campus.

(e) Donate Life California shall be available to confer and collaborate on an ongoing basis with all campuses.

SEC. 3.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.