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Bill

Bill

SB 5524

Creating the donate life special license plate.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Matt Boehnke and 13 co-sponsors

Washington creates a donate life special license plate to raise awareness of organ donation while generating potential program funding.

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
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Bill Summary · SB 5524

Legislative bill overview

SB 5524 establishes a new special license plate design in Washington State that promotes organ and tissue donation awareness. The plate would be available to vehicle owners who wish to publicly display support for the donate life initiative. Revenue or proceeds from the plate (if any) would presumably support donation-related programs or education.

Why is this important

Organ and tissue donation saves lives—currently, thousands of people nationwide remain on transplant waiting lists. Specialized license plates serve as visible public awareness tools that can normalize donation conversations and potentially increase registration rates on state donor registries. This represents a low-cost policy mechanism to address a genuine public health need.

Potential points of contention

  • Program costs vs. benefits: The fiscal impact of designing, producing, and distributing a new plate versus actual donation rate increases is unclear
  • Revenue allocation: Whether proceeds from plate sales would genuinely fund donation programs or general transportation budgets, and if amounts would be meaningful
  • Administrative burden: The Department of Licensing must implement new systems; unclear if this justifies the effort for a symbolic initiative

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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