Licking Today

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has signed House Bill 256 into law, as announced by State Representatives Kevin Miller and Rodney Creech. The new legislation mandates the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to ask about organ donation during the process of registering for hunting or fishing licenses.

The purpose of this bill is to address the demand for organ transplants in Ohio by connecting organ donor registration with applications for hunting and fishing licenses. Currently, more than 2,700 individuals in Ohio are on the waiting list for an organ transplant.

“This critical legislation expands opportunities for Ohioans to choose to be an organ donor,” said Representative Miller. “I am confident this bill will save lives.”

In Ohio, there are over 300,000 applicants each year for hunting licenses and 850,000 applicants annually for fishing licenses. The new law will come into effect in 90 days.