Article Summary –
A proposed US bill, the Life Saving Leave Act, will allow employees up to 40 nonconsecutive hours of unpaid leave annually for bone marrow or blood stem cell donation. The bill, introduced by Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and co-sponsored by Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, aims to address the lack of federal legal requirement for employers to give their employees leave for these types of donations. The legislation is backed by the National Marrow Donor Program, a nonprofit organization advocating for donation and managing a marrow registry, and ensures all patients have equal access to life-saving transplants.
Philadelphia Resident Advocates for New Bill Facilitating Bone Marrow and Blood Stem Cell Donation
Elle Crofton, a Philadelphia resident diagnosed with a rare blood cancer at 25, received a potential cure via a blood stem cell transplant two years later. The donor’s employer granted her time off for the lifesaving donation.
“I was fortunate to have a willing and able donor on the registry. However, there is no federal mandate requiring employers to grant leave for bone marrow and blood stem cell donations, putting many potential lifesaving donations at risk,” Crofton explained.
Crofton hopes that the Life Saving Leave Act, sponsored by Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, will eliminate this barrier. This bill, co-sponsored by Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, proposes annual unpaid leave of up to 40 nonconsecutive hours for employees to donate bone marrow or blood stem cells.
This legislation, awaiting action in the House of Representatives, is designed to provide donors flexibility for predonation exams, travel, and recovery. The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) has endorsed it.
Volunteer advocate for NMDP, Karen Kramer, became involved after her brother-in-law needed a marrow transplant. “The Life Saving Leave Act takes us closer to removing barriers for donors. They shouldn’t worry about their jobs while saving lives,” Kramer said.
Kramer further noted that ideal donors often have to decline because they cannot take leave from work. She applauded Casey’s leadership in trying to extend protections for stem cell and marrow donations, describing it as a no-cost, nonpartisan solution to ensure equal access to lifesaving transplants.
Kim Venella, a bone marrow transplant nurse practitioner at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, echoed this sentiment. She highlighted the disappointment when potential matches cannot donate, often out of fear of losing their jobs. “This bill is a life saver,” she said.
According to Casey’s office, over 180,000 Pennsylvanians have registered as potential bone marrow donors. The new legislation aims to facilitate their participation with minimal impact on their employers.
—
Read More Pennsylvania News
