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NY Allowing Organ Donor Consent Starting At Age 16

New York is lowering the age at which drivers can register to become organ donors from 18 down to 16.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the law Thursday, saying thousands of New Yorkers are waiting for organs and this will help to grow the registry of potential donors.

The law, which takes effect in six months,  includes a provision for parents to rescind that consent if their child dies before turning 18.

After that, New Yorkers who apply for a learner's permit to drive at age 16 or 17 will be able to register for the New York State Donate Life Registry.

47 other states have either no restriction on the minimum age for donor registration or allow enrollment younger than age 18.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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