FORMATION OF KIDNEY SHARING POOL AND DISTRIBUTION TO LONGEST WAITING PATIENTS

(a) Under the system for allocating kidneys available for transplant in this state, to the extent allowed by federal law, a statewide pool of 20 percent of the kidneys from deceased donors of each blood type recovered by each organ procurement organization that has a defined service area that includes all or part of this state is provided to a special pool for redistribution to patients who have been waiting the longest for transplantation in this state. (b) Medically eligible patients with low panel reactive antibodies of less than 10 percent who, in terms of accumulated waiting time, comprise the top 20 percent of all patients waiting will be put in a pool. As one of those patients receives a transplant, the patient will be replaced in the pool, in turn, by the next longest waiting patient. Only accumulated waiting time will be used to establish priority access to the pool. (c) With the exception of assigning points for a six antigen match with zero antigen mismatch, assigning points for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) match will be eliminated by organ procurement organizations that are participating in the pool established under Subsection (a). (d) After a patient has qualified for entry into the pool established under Subsection (b), the order of distribution is based solely on the length of time each patient has waited. (e) Use of the pools will be managed by the federal Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. (f) A panel of appropriate physician specialists of Texas' Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network members will monitor the listing of patients and the appropriate use of the pools.