H.R. 2687 – End Kidney Deaths Act
The End Kidney Deaths Act (H.R. 2687) is a bipartisan bill designed to save lives by encouraging more people to become living kidney donors. It offers a refundable tax credit of up to $50,000 over five years to individuals who donate a kidney to a stranger, known as non-directed donors. By removing financial barriers and supporting those who give selflessly, this legislation aims to increase kidney donation rates, shorten the transplant waitlist, and ultimately reduce the number of Americans dying from kidney failure each year.
What is H.R. 2687 and why it needs your support
Every day, Americans line up to donate blood or plasma and receive compensation, yet when someone steps up to donate a kidney, potentially saving a life, they receive nothing. H.R. 2687, the End Kidney Deaths Act, would change that by offering a refundable tax credit to people who make a non-directed living kidney donation. That means if you donate a kidney to a stranger in need, you would receive $10,000 a year for five years, support not for the organ itself, but for your recovery, lost wages, and long-term health. For veterans and service members, this is about honoring sacrifice. Our troops are willing to give their lives to save others. A kidney donor makes a life-saving decision once in their lifetime, a sacrifice that deserves real recognition. Just like we care for our disabled veterans after service, we should stand by our organ donors after their heroic act. This bill is how we start doing that.
1. It’s Not “Buying Organs” It’s Removing Financial Barriers
This bill doesn’t “pay” for a kidney. It provides a tax credit, just like we offer for adoption or for buying energy efficient products, to help cover real costs like travel, time off work, and recovery. It simply levels the playing field so anyone can afford to be generous.
2. It Encourages Selfless Service, Not Exploitation
Only non-directed donors qualify, people who give to strangers with no expectation of anything in return. These are the most selfless donors, and this bill helps support their decision, not incentivize profit.
3. It’s Fully Legal and Ethically Protected
H.R. 2687 was carefully written to comply with the National Organ Transplant Act. The bill explicitly states the tax credit is not considered payment, preserving the integrity of our donation system.
4. It Will Save Thousands of Lives
Every day, people die waiting for a kidney. By increasing access to living donors, this bill will expand the donor pool, shorten the waitlist, and literally give more people the chance to live.