HR 5259HR 1262S 2751119th CongressIntroduced

Permanent OPTN Fee Authority Act

Introduced: Sep 10, 2025

Healthcare

Chamber Versions:

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Permanent OPTN Fee Authority Act would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect registration fees from members of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) for each transplant candidate that a member places on the waitlist. The collected fees would be used solely to support the operation of the OPTN and would be treated as discretionary offsetting collections (reducing the need for new appropriations). The bill also requires transparency by posting fee amounts and the activities funded on the OPTN website, and it directs a GAO review within two years to assess the program and provide recommendations. In addition to the new fee authority, the bill makes related changes to OPTN governance and data reporting. It adds a requirement for a dashboard displaying key OPTN statistics (e.g., numbers and types of transplants, organs entered and not transplanted) that should be updated more frequently than annually. It also updates terminology for 24-hour support to include both telephone and information technology services.

Key Points

1Fee authority: The Secretary may collect registration fees from any OPTN member for each transplant candidate placed on the waitlist, with funds used only to support OPTN operations and allowed to remain available until expended.
2Collection and distribution: Fees may be collected directly or through awards under the OPTN contract and must be treated as discretionary offsetting collections, available only to the extent provided in appropriations Acts to distribute among eligible awardees.
3Transparency: The Secretary must promptly post on the OPTN website the amount of registration fees collected from each member and a list of activities those fees support, with quarterly updates.
4GAO review: Within two years after enactment, the Comptroller General must conduct a review of these activities (to the extent data are available) and submit a report with recommendations to relevant Senate and House committees.
5Dashboard and data reporting: The bill adds a requirement for a dashboard that displays key statistics about transplants and organ entries/failures, updated more frequently than annually.
6Service terminology: Replaces a reference to “24-hour telephone service” with “24-hour telephone or information technology service” to reflect broader support capabilities.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Members of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (e.g., transplant centers, organ procurement organizations, and other OPTN members) who would be subject to registration fees tied to waitlist activity.- The OPTN itself, as the recipient and administrator of the new fee program and the dashboard/data reporting requirements.Secondary group/area affected- Patients on transplant waitlists who may be indirectly affected by how OPTN is funded and governed, potentially influencing data quality, waitlist management, and transparency.- Awardees described in the OPTN contract (the entities responsible for operating the OPTN) who would receive funding through the new fee mechanism.Additional impacts- Federal budget and oversight: Introduction of discretionary offsetting collections and increased GAO oversight, with quarterly public reporting of fees and their uses.- Transparency and accountability: Public dashboards and quarterly updates could improve visibility into OPTN operations and funding.- Administrative/operational considerations: Institutions would need to account for and remit registration fees; the shift to include information technology services in 24-hour support may affect operational logistics and reporting requirements.

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