Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R,C-Mohawk Valley and the Adirondacks) voted to adopt Assembly Bill A.10299. The legislation will allow New Yorkers to easily register with the Donate Life Registry by checking a box when filing their mandatory electronic state income tax returns. Smullen has been a strong supporter of efforts to increase organ donation, and this proposal would offer a practical, low-effort opportunity to reach millions and help save lives.

New York continues to face one of the lowest organ donor registration rates in the nation, even as thousands of residents wait for life-saving transplants and hundreds die each year without a match. This bill has been reintroduced after passing the Legislature last year before being vetoed by the governor.

“New Yorkers want to do the right thing and help save lives, but we need to make it as easy as possible,” said Smullen. “I am glad to see my colleagues in the Assembly advance this from the floor and to the Governor’s desk. Families across our state are anxiously waiting for an organ. A simple checkbox during tax season would limit existing barriers for enrollment and add thousands to the Donate Life Registry.”

Smullen has long championed the bill. His late son, Alexander John “AJ” Smullen, donated organs to five families in need after his untimely death in March of 2024. The Governor later signed the “Alexander John Smullen Traffic Safety Memorial Law,” which establishes a traffic safety memorial sign program to publicly memorialize the victims of fatal vehicle collisions.

The measure received bipartisan support and aligns with ongoing efforts to strengthen New York’s Donate Life program. For more information on how to register as an organ donor, visit the New York State Donate Life Registry at their Web site.