Young Drivers And Older Adults Less Likely To Register
As Organ And Tissue Donors In California
SACRAMENTO, Calif., ]– As the nation’s organ and tissue donation community joins together to observe April’s National Donate Life Month, Californians can celebrate the enrollment of 6.3 million residents as organ and tissue donors, making the state’s donor registry the largest in the U.S.
“Since more than 97 percent of these registered donors have enrolled through the DMV, April is celebrated in our state as DMV/Donate Life California Month,” said Bryan Stewart, president of Donate Life California. “Ours is truly a partnership for life.”
However, California residents still lag behind most of the nation when offered the opportunity to register. In 2009, only 26 percent of DMV customers applying for or renewing their driver’s licenses and ID cards checked ‘yes’ on their forms to register as donors, ranking in the bottom fifth.  In addition, of 26 million licensed drivers and ID holders, only 23 percent have signed up to be organ and tissue donors.
According to Donate Life California data, populations that are less likely to register as organ and tissue donors are both young drivers (between the ages of 15 and 19), and adults age 50 and over.
“Both groups have a tendency to rule themselves out for well-intentioned reasons,” explained Stewart, “Many first-time drivers believe they are not yet old enough to make the donation decision, while many adults over the age of 50 think their advanced age or medical conditions are reasons for ruling themselves out thinking they are protecting others.”
In fact, anyone can be a donor, a 93-year-old kidney donor and a 99-year-old cornea donor set the national records for oldest organ and tissue donors. Age and most medical conditions do not exclude one from being a suitable donor, and all potential donors are evaluated by medical professionals on a case-by-case basis.
“We urge older Californians to register their decision to donate, regardless of their age or medical history, so that no opportunity to help others is lost,” said Stewart.
As for younger Californians, teens who apply for their first driver’s license may sign up on the registry –in fact, teens as young as 13 can register on line-, but their parents will make the final decision about organ and tissue donation at the appropriate time if they are younger than 18.
Despite the state’s lower donor registration rates, the Donate Life California Registry plays an increasingly essential role in saving and healing Californians in need of organ and tissue transplants. Since the registry was introduced in April 2005, donors who had registered prior to death have saved more than 900 lives through organ donation and healed more than 30,000 through cornea and tissue donation. In 2009 alone, 134 registered organ donors and 414 registered tissue donors were recovered by the state’s organ and tissue recovery organizations.
Of the more than 106,000 patients currently listed on the National Organ Transplant Waiting List, approximately 20 percent are registered in California, resulting in a disproportionate need for donated organs that magnifies every lost donation opportunity.

“The only way to ensure that your wish to save lives as a donor is honored is by registering with Donate Life California,” said Stewart. “Checking ‘yes’ at the DMV could make all the difference in the world to someone whose only hope for survival relies on another’s compassion.”
Donate Life California is the nonprofit, state-authorized organ and tissue donor registry, administered by California’s four nonprofit, federally designated organ recovery organizations, each responsible for facilitating the donation process in the state: California Transplant Donor Network, Golden State Donor Services, Lifesharing and OneLegacy.

US Labor Department obtains judgments against defunct Sunnyvale, Calif., company
SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained default judgments appointing Saakvitne Law Corp. as an independent fiduciary for the 401(k) plans of a Sunnyvale, Calif.-based software company and its San Mateo, Calif.-based subsidiary.  As fiduciary, Saakvitne will terminate both plans and distribute a total of nearly $556,500 in assets to eligible participants.
The judgments resolve separate suits filed by the Labor Department in November 2008 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the two business management software companies - Vigilance Inc. and Harmony Software Inc.
"The Labor Department is committed to protecting the retirement security of America's workers and their families," said Phyllis C. Borzi, assistant secretary of the department's Employee Benefits Security Administration.  "This case demonstrates that we will take legal action to ensure workers receive the benefits they are promised."
Vigilance Inc. established a plan in 2001 and ceased operations in 2004.  Since 2004, the company has neither taken fiduciary responsibility for operation of the plan and its assets nor appointed anyone to assume that responsibility, leaving participants and beneficiaries unable to access their individual account balances.  As of June 23, 2009, the Vigilance Inc. 401(k) Plan had approximately $226,145 in assets and 18 participants.
Harmony Software Inc. established its plan in 1998, ceased operations in 2003, and managed the plan until 2005.  Since that time, the company has neither taken fiduciary responsibility for the operation of the plan and its assets nor appointed anyone to assume that responsibility.  The remaining 14 plan participants have been unable to access their individual account balances.  As of June 30, 2009, the plan had $330,341 in assets.
EBSA's regional office in San Francisco conducted the investigations that led to the litigation now resolved.  Employers and workers can contact that office at 415-625-2481 or toll-free at 866-444-3272 for help with any problems relating to private sector pension and health plans.  In fiscal year 2009, EBSA achieved monetary results of $1.3 billion related to the pension, 401(k), health and other benefits for millions of American workers and their families.  Additional information can be found at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa.