VALHALLA, N.Y. — Rep. Josh Gottheimer is backing new federal legislation to make it easier for Americans to register as organ donors, drawing on the personal loss of his mother, who died without receiving the lung transplant she needed.

The Bergen County Democrat joined Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York at Westchester Medical Center Thursday, Oct. 22, to announce the bipartisan Lauren Shields Organ Donation Act.

The legislation would expand opportunities for Americans to register as organ donors by adding the option to federal documents, including passport applications and tax forms.

“When my mother was battling sarcoidosis, a rare lung disease, she tried valiantly to get a new lung – perhaps the only chance at saving her life. She never received one,” Gottheimer said.

“The bipartisan Lauren Shields Organ Donation Act will build on Lauren’s legacy and make it easier for Americans to register as organ donors, to say yes across our country – just as Lauren would have wanted.”

The proposal is named for Lauren Shields, a pediatric heart transplant recipient who became an advocate for organ donation before dying earlier this year at age 26.

Her advocacy helped lead to the passage of New York's Lauren's Law in 2012, requiring the organ donation question to be asked at Department of Motor Vehicles offices across the state.

Gottheimer and Lawler want to bring that approach to the federal level, creating additional opportunities for people to register when completing routine government paperwork.

Lawler, who knew Shields personally, said the legislation would honor her work while helping more patients awaiting transplants.

“Lauren Shields dedicated her life to giving others hope, and her legacy will continue to save lives for generations to come,” Lawler said.

WMCHealth CEO Dr. David Lubarsky said organ transplantation allows patients to return to school, regain their strength and resume activities that serious illness had put out of reach.

The medical center operates a comprehensive transplant program providing heart, kidney and liver transplants to patients across the region.

Representatives from Donate Life New York State, LiveOnNY and other organ donation organizations attended the announcement.

The Lauren Shields Organ Donation Act is proposed federal legislation and would require congressional approval before taking effect.