Rep. Tony Wied, R-8th District, visited the Community Blood Center in Appleton to show his support for the BLOOD Centers Act, Nov. 25, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A bipartisan bill aims to strengthen the blood supply in the United States.
“Every two seconds in the U.S., someone needs a blood transfusion. That means in the next 10 minutes, over 300 people will need a blood transfusion that has to rely on volunteer blood donors to get through surgeries, cancer treatments, childbirth complications and life-threatening emergencies,” said Community Blood Center President & CEO John Hagins.
Rep. Tony Wied, R-8th District, visited the CBC in Appleton Tuesday to show his support for the BLOOD Centers Act. This bill is designed to boost the quantity of our nation’s blood supply and streamline the process of opening of new blood centers. Officials say the legislation would minimize regulatory delays while maintaining high standards of safety and quality.
“Current regulations mean that donor centers must wait often up to a year or more when adding collection sites under an existing license. The same regulations apply even when the new location operates under the same standard operating procedures, uses the same devices and is staffed by the same trained professionals,” Hagins said.
That means blood centers could create more local donation opportunities more quickly, respond to emergencies more efficiently and better meet shifting patient needs in our communities.
During the 2025 Blood Advocacy Week this summer, the CBC team pitched what eventually became the BLOOD Centers Act to local representatives, including Wied, in Washington, D.C.
Wied said the government needs to do everything it can to “cut the bureaucratic red tape” out of the system and encouraged Northeast Wisconsin residents to give blood.
“If you have the time, if you’re willing and able, that’s very important today with our critically low supplies. While it might feel like a small act, it can quite literally save someone’s life. Whether it’s a friend or family member, even a stranger, so many of our fellow Americans are in need of blood donations,” Wied said. “It’s critical that we continue to work together to strengthen our nation’s blood supply and to protect the most vulnerable around us.”
Wied toured the CBC and his district director, Chris Grawien, donated blood.
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