INDIANA – Donate Life Indiana and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources have partnered to give Hoosiers the opportunity to save lives as organ and tissue donors when purchasing their hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses. As of July 7, all online hunting and fishing license sales will include the option to register as a donor.
Governor Eric Holcomb authorized the new program in March 2020 by signing Senate Enrolled Act 288 into law. SEA 288 adds the organ donation question to license purchases. Other ways to sign up as an organ and tissue donor include through the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, online at DonateLifeIndiana.org, and through the iPhone Health app.
“This is a big step forward for donation in our state,” said Tim Clauson, board president of Donate Life Indiana. “One of our primary goals is increasing the number of registered donors in Indiana, and we’re excited to expand this opportunity to the hunting, fishing, and trapping community.”
More than 100,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant nationwide, including more than 1,000 Hoosiers. One donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and heal as many as 75 people through tissue donation.
More than 4 million Hoosiers are already registered as organ and tissue donors and over 99 percent of those registrations currently take place via the BMV. With more than 1 million hunting and fishing licenses sold annually, the program is expected to provide an important opportunity for more Hoosiers to sign up as donors.
About Donate Life Indiana
Since 1998, Donate Life Indiana has served as the state-authorized nonprofit organization responsible for managing the Indiana Donor Registry. Their mission is to save lives by creating opportunities for all Indiana citizens to sign up on the official state registry while striving to raise awareness for organ, eye, and tissue donation and transplantation through public education. Learn more at DonateLifeIndiana.org.
About the Indiana Department of Natural Resources
The mission of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is to protect, enhance, preserve, and wisely use natural, cultural, and recreational resources for the benefit of Indiana’s citizens through professional leadership, management, and education.
To satisfy such a broad and diverse responsibility, the Department is divided into two distinct areas of responsibility: the Regulatory Management Team; and, the Land Management Team. The Regulatory Management Team consists of the Divisions of Water; Entomology and Plant Pathology; Historic Preservation and Archaeology; Reclamation; and Oil and Gas. Outdoor recreation and land management programs are housed within the Land Management Team. That unit consists of State Parks; Nature Preserves; Land Acquisition; Fish and Wildlife; Outdoor Recreation and Forestry. Learn more at in.gov/dnr.
