State Sen. Peter Oberacker, R-Schenevus, on Wednesday announced the unanimous passage of Senate Bill S3335, legislation “aimed at significantly expanding the National Marrow Donor Program donor pool and improving access to life-saving bone marrow transplants for individuals battling life-threatening blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.”
Oberacker introduced the bill and was a co-sponsor according to his spokesman, Daniel Koerner.
“Today, we’ve taken a giant step forward in the fight against blood cancers,” Oberacker said. “This bill ensures that individuals suffering from leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers will have access to the life-saving treatments they desperately need.
The bill “directly addresses the urgent need for a diverse background of marrow donors to meet the growing need for life-saving transplants,” the release stated. It creates a “seamless” way for New Yorkers to become registered bone marrow donors through routine transactions at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
“This bill means more matches, more transplants, and more lives saved,” Oberacker said. “We’re making it easier to enroll as a donor and giving an opportunity to save a life. Together, we can ensure more families get more time with their loved ones.”
A companion bill in the state Assembly, sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, a New York City Democrat, is currently in committee, according to the websites for the Senate and Assembly. The bill will have to be passed in the Assembly and signed by the governor to become law.