What's Happening in the States: February 2024

Welcome back to our What's Happening in the States series, where we provide quarterly legislative updates on what the American Kidney Fund (AKF) is working on at the state level to improve the lives of those living with kidney disease and protect living organ donors.

Our state team spent the end of 2023 focused on the remaining legislative sessions and laying the groundwork for 2024. We finished the year with the passage of another state Living Donor Protection Act, this time in Michigan through SB 384 by Sen. Kevin Hertel. AKF's senior director of state policy and advocacy, Jon Hoffman, joined advocates and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer herself for the bill signing in early December. We had an active group of advocates in Lansing and around the state who worked hard to get the legislation over the finish line.

In November, AKF announced the creation of APOL1-Mediated Kidney Disease (AMKD) Awareness Day to increase awareness and understanding of APOL1-mediated kidney disease, which will be celebrated on April 30, 2024. AMKD includes a spectrum of kidney diseases associated with variants in the APOL1 gene that are linked to increased risk of kidney disease among people of Western and Central African descent. After this inaugural event, AMKD Awareness Day will be observed on the last Tuesday of April. Help us build awareness of AMKD at the state level by requesting a proclamation in your state!

Legislative sessions for 2024 have begun, with more to begin in coming weeks, but as an even numbered year and an election year, some states will have shorter sessions or skip session altogether. Montana, Nevada, North Dakota and Texas have no 2024 sessions, so we won't see any new legislation on those fronts until 2025. In active states, we continue to pursue living donor protections and Medigap coverage. Jon and Ari Holland-Baldwin, AKF associate director of state policy and advocacy, have been on the road this January, working on legislation in Georgia, Rhode Island, Indiana and South Carolina. Be on the lookout for our updated Living Donor Report Card for 2024, which launches in just a few weeks, and as always, keep an eye on our action alerts for information on crucial bills moving through the states like:

• Vermont's H 590: Living donor insurance and leave protections
• Indiana's HB 1346 and SB 215: Medigap coverage

This isn't an exhaustive list, so be sure to reach out to us if there are bills or other efforts you're working on in your state or region! We are eager to help.