By Mike Benjamin
Oswego, NY – A new bill in the state legislature would make everyone in New York an organ donor, unless they choose to opt out.
Currently, New Yorkers opt in to the state's organ donor network by checking a box on their driver's license. State Assemblyman, Richard Brodsky has proposed a bill that would adopt a model of "presumed content" in New York. That means everyone would be considered an organ donor unless they choose not to be.
James Clark of Fulton says he'd be okay with the new plan because it would cut down on the waiting time for people in need of organ transplants.
"I think it would help because the average wait is up to four years. I think if somebody has already had that on their ID and they had an organ they could donate, the person on the list would get it a lot faster and they wouldn't have to wait four years, maybe it would cut it in half to two years. If something worked out that way, I think that would be great," said Clark.
Currently, only 11 percent of eligible donors in New York are enrolled in the state organ donor network. In other states, the number is as high as 65 percent.