H.R. 5259: Permanent OPTN Fee Authority Act

This bill, titled the Permanent OPTN Fee Authority Act, proposes to give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to collect registration fees from members of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Here are the main components of the bill:

Registration Fees

The Secretary may collect fees from any member of the OPTN for each transplant candidate they list. These fees are intended to support the operations of the OPTN. The collected fees will:

• Be credited to the relevant account of the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Remain available until they are fully expended.

Collection and Distribution

The fees can be collected directly by the Secretary or through other awards. The amounts collected will be subject to the appropriations process, which means they can only be used if approved in federal budget bills.

Transparency Measures

The Secretary is required to ensure transparency regarding the collection and use of these fees. Specifically, they must:

• Post the amount of registration fees collected from each member of the OPTN on the OPTN's website.
• Provide a list of what activities the fees are supporting.
• Update this information quarterly.

Review Process

Within two years after the enactment of this bill, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) will conduct a review of the activities associated with the collection of these fees. They will report their findings and any recommendations to relevant congressional committees.

Additional Changes

The bill also makes amendments to the existing regulations regarding the OPTN, including:

• Updating definitions for certain services provided by the OPTN.
• Adding provisions for the establishment of a dashboard to display data related to transplants, such as the number and types of transplants performed and organs that were not transplanted. This information should be updated more frequently than once a year.

Relevant Companies

None found.