It's a matter of life and death -- and taxes.

Six people die every day for lack of vital organs or tissue. But according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, about 29,000 people remain alive, waiting for an organ donation. About 2,300 of these people waiting for organs live in Pennsylvania.

In a smart move aimed at saving these lives, state Sen. Michael Dawida, D-Allegheny, proposed a presumed consent law that would make it easier for people to donate their organs. And as long as a person pays taxes, they can object to the donation.

Presumed consent assumes that once a person dies their organs become state property, unless prior to death, the person or family members specify that the patient's organs should not be donated. All Pennsylvania residents would become organ and tissue donors unless they checked a box on the back of their state tax return marked "no."

Currently, state residents must fill out an organ-donor card to give the state access to their body's organs and tissue. Drivers receive a sticker to attach to their driver's license.

In national polls, 80 percent of respondents have agreed organ donation is noble. But only 15 percent of those who praised the deed are organ donors themselves. Apparently the current methods for finding prosepective donors are inadequate.

With only 4,548 people in the United States donating organs last year, any measure that will make the process easier should be welcomed.

Presumed consent would give families the choice to refuse to donate their loved ones' bodies, whether it be for religious reasons or personal choice. And if no decision is made prior to death, the healthy organs won't go to waste.

Usable organs are scarce, and with presumed consent, the state would lead the way to saving more lives each year.