BUFFALO, N.Y. (WENY) — Becoming an organ donor is something we all have the option to do when we turn 16, but why would a couple of high school kids, that couldn't even drive, get involved in the organ donor registration process?

"I didn't think about organ donation as something that mattered to me when I first joined the club as a freshman, I didn't care about it at all. I joined because I wanted TimBits. I joined the club for reasons that were entirely not altruistic," said Evan Roden, a former member of the Donate Life Club and college activist.

During their time in the Donate Life Club at East Aurora High School, Evan Roden, Grace Tapani, and Henry McLaughlin learned that only 37% of all New Yorkers are registered organ donors. The second-lowest rate in the country.

"That means that there's a very small number of organs that New York State receives each year from other New Yorkers. We don't receive any donations outside of New York State because we're our own donation zone," Roden said.

Over the last three years, they've been working to change New York State's organ donor registration from an opt-in registration to an opt-out registration.

Organ donor consent is one of the last sections on the DMV's license application form. Something that could be overlooked during a trip to the DMV.

"When I went to get my license, you're just trying to get through it really quickly. You're at the DMV, you're waiting in a line. I think this is sort of a common-sense measure that will help increase the number of organ donors on the registry," said Henry McLaughlin, a former member of the Donate Life Club and college activist.

Implementing an opt-out program and bringing the registration box to the top of the DMV application would bring more attention to and, likely, put more people on the donor list.

"It changes the default of what New Yorkers see when they first get their license. You go to the DMV and you see that the default is, New York State wants you to help other New Yorkers if you ever pass away. That's what this is. It's not going to change any active license holders," Roden said.

While some countries, Like Italy, France and Spain, automatically put everyone who wasn't registered on the list, if a bill were passed, people who currently have a license wouldn't suddenly be registered.

"We would only be adding people who are going to get their license, like teenagers. We wouldn't be putting anyone on the list that already has their license," said Grace Tapani, former president of the Donate Life Club and college activist.

The bill has gotten some attention, with assemblyman David DiPietro as their first recruit, but they need a second sponsor. 

Information on the bill can be found here.