Ala. Code § 22-19-161

Current through the 2024 Regular Session.

Section 22-19-161 - Definitions

In this article:

(1) "Adult" means an individual who is at least 18 years of age.

(2) "Agent" means an individual:

(A) authorized to make health care decisions on the principal's behalf by a power of attorney for health care; or

(B) expressly authorized to make an anatomical gift on the principal's behalf by any other record signed by the principal.

(3) "Anatomical gift" means a donation of all or part of a human body to take effect after the donor's death for the purpose of transplantation, therapy, research, or education.

(4) "Coroner" means an elected or appointed official who determines, with the assistance of other forensic scientists and investigators, the cause, manner, and circumstances surrounding death.

(5) "Decedent" means a deceased individual whose body or part is or may be the source of an anatomical gift. The term includes a stillborn infant and, subject to restrictions imposed by law other than this article, a fetus.

(6) "Disinterested witness" means a witness other than the spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandchild, grandparent, or guardian of the individual who makes, amends, revokes, or refuses to make an anatomical gift, or another adult who exhibited special care and concern for the individual. The term does not include a person to which an anatomical gift could pass under Section 22-19-170.

(7) "District attorney" means a constitutional officer elected by the qualified electors of those counties in each judicial circuit.

(8) "Document of gift" means a donor card or other record used to make an anatomical gift. The term includes a statement or symbol on a driver's license, identification card, or donor registry.

(9) "Donor" means an individual whose body or part is the subject of an anatomical gift.

(10) "Donor registry" means a database that contains records of anatomical gifts and amendments to or revocations of anatomical gifts.

(11) "Driver's license" means a license or permit issued by the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency to operate a vehicle, whether or not conditions are attached to the license or permit.

(12) "Eye bank" means a person that is licensed, accredited, or regulated under federal or state law to engage in the recovery, screening, testing, processing, storage, or distribution of human eyes or portions of human eyes.

(13) "Guardian" means a person appointed by a court to make decisions regarding the support, care, education, health, or welfare of an individual. The term does not include a guardian ad litem.

(14) "Hospital" means a facility licensed, accredited, or approved as a hospital under the provisions of Article 2, Chapter 21, Title 22 or a facility operated as a hospital by the United States government.

(15) "Identification card" means an identification card issued by the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.

(16) "Know" means to have actual knowledge.

(17) "Local public health official" means a physician acting in the capacity as an area health officer, local health officer, or county health officer.

(18) "Medical examiner" means a licensed physician who determines the cause, manner, and circumstances surrounding death with other forensic scientists and investigators.

(19) "Minor" means an individual who is under 18 years of age.

(20) "Organ procurement organization" means a person designated by the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services as an organ procurement organization.

(21) "Parent" means a parent whose parental rights have not been terminated.

(22) "Part" means an organ, an eye, or tissue of a human being. The term does not include the whole body.

(23) "Pathologist" means a licensed physician who is certified in anatomic or anatomic and clinical pathology by the American Board of Pathology or employed by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.

(24) "Person" means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity.

(25) "Physician" means an individual licensed by the Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama and authorized to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathy and surgery.

(26) "Procurement organizations" means an eye bank, organ procurement organization, and/or tissue bank.

(27) "Prospective donor" means an individual who is dead or near death and has been determined by a procurement organization to have a part that could be medically suitable for transplantation, therapy, research, or education. The term does not include an individual who has made a refusal.

(28) "Reasonably available" means able to be contacted by a procurement organization without undue effort and willing and able to act in a timely manner consistent with existing medical criteria necessary for the making of an anatomical gift.

(29) "Recipient" means an individual into whose body a decedent's part has been or is intended to be transplanted.

(30) "Record" means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.

(31) "Refusal" means a record created under Section 22-19-166 that expressly states an intent to bar other persons from making an anatomical gift of an individual's body or part.

(32) "Sign" means, with the present intent to authenticate or adopt a record:

(A) to execute or adopt a tangible symbol; or

(B) to attach to or logically associate with the record an electronic symbol, sound, or process.

(33) "State" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

(34) "Surgeon's assistant" means an individual licensed and certified as a surgeon's assistant by the State Board of Medical Examiners to remove or process a part.

(35) "Technician" means an individual determined to be qualified to remove or process parts by an appropriate organization that is licensed, accredited, or regulated under federal or state law. The term includes an enucleator.

(36) "Tissue" means a portion of the human body other than an organ or an eye. The term does not include blood unless the blood is donated for the purpose of research or education.

(37) "Tissue bank" means a person that is licensed, accredited, or regulated under federal or state law to engage in the recovery, screening, testing, processing, storage, or distribution of tissue.

(38) "Transplant hospital" means a hospital that furnishes organ transplants and other medical and surgical specialty services required for the care of transplant patients.

(39) "Will" means a disposition of real and personal property to take effect after the death of a testator.

Ala. Code § 22-19-161 (1975)

Act 2008-453, p. 867, §1.