The Liberal Democratic Party plans to introduce a bill next year that would allow people under the age of 15 who have been diagnosed as brain-dead to be organ donors for transplants.
The LDP's Research Commission on Brain Death, Life Ethics and Organ Transplants decided Wednesday to try to revise the organ transplant law, which currently stipulates an age limit of 15.
"Some 80 percent of Diet lawmakers believe that children should be allowed to receive organ transplants," said Hideki Miyazaki, who chairs the panel.
The current age limit has made it impossible for younger people with serious heart or other diseases to receive organ transplants in Japan.
It is still unclear whether the consent of guardians alone will be sufficient to allow the organs of brain-dead people, including those under 15, to be donated.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.