Organ donation, licensed organ transport and transplant centers: Washington officials and OPO describe system and challenges

Dawn Felt, EMS program manager at the Washington State Department of Health, told the committee that the 2023 organ‑transport law allows licensed organ transport services to use emergency lights and sirens, HOV lanes and traffic preemption devices for time‑critical organ delivery. Felt described driver qualifications in statute and rule: drivers must be at least 24 years old, have at least five years’ experience driving under emergency conditions (e.g., as a firefighter, police officer or EMS provider), pass background checks, complete a defensive driving course and meet licensing requirements. Insurance minimums set by the statute include $5,000,000 in general liability and $5,000,000 in automotive liability plus an umbrella policy. Since the law and the corresponding WAC went into effect, the department has licensed one company (the Nationwide Oregon Recovery Transport…