BAILEY MORSE, chief legal officer for the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, told the joint House and Senate Health and Welfare Committees on Oct. 13 in Covington that organ and tissue donation saves lives but demand far outstrips supply.

Morse said LOPA serves the whole state through nearly 300 employees and a regional structure that connects hospitals, clinicians and families. "At present, more than a 100,000 Americans are on the national transplant waiting list," Morse said, adding that "someone new is added to the national transplant waiting list every 9 minutes."

Why it matters: Committee members from both chambers were on a listening tour to meet local providers and learn how state policy and funding affect health services. LOPA’s presentation emphasized clinical oversight, family support and outreach in underserved communities as key to turning registrant consent into completed transplants.

LOPA provided state-level and national context for transplant need and outcomes. Morse noted nationwide record years for transplants in 2024 but said daily mortality on the waiting list persists. She highlighted Louisiana-specific figures and programs: Morse said roughly 1,800 Louisiana residents were on the state’s waiting list at the time of the presentation and described LOPA’s priorities as strengthening hospital and community partnerships, supporting pro-donation policies and expanding education and outreach.

Committee members thanked LOPA for hosting the meeting and said they would pursue follow-up conversations about ways the Legislature could support the agency’s work. Several legislators recounted personal family experiences with transplantation while praising LOPA’s improvements: Morse said the agency had advanced from a tier 3 to a tier 1 organ procurement organization under CMS benchmark metrics in recent years.

No formal legislation or votes were taken during the presentation. Committee members indicated interest in further conversations about how lawmakers could back LOPA’s priorities through policy or other support.

The meeting moved on after a break for technical issues; LOPA representatives remained available for additional follow-up discussions requested by legislators.