36-841. Definitions

In this article, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. " Adult" means an individual who is at least eighteen years of age.

2. " Agent" means an individual who is either:

(a) Authorized to make health care decisions on the principal's behalf pursuant to a health care power of attorney.

(b) Expressly authorized to make an anatomical gift on the principal's behalf pursuant to 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. " Decedent" means a deceased individual whose body or part is or may be the source of an anatomical gift. Decedent includes a stillborn infant and, subject to restrictions imposed by any other law, a fetus.

5. " 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. Disinterested witness does not include a person to which an anatomical gift could pass pursuant to section 36-850.

6. " Document of gift" means a donor card or other record that is used to make an anatomical gift. Document of gift includes a statement or symbol on a driver license, identification card or donor registry.

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

8. " Donor registry" means a database that contains records of anatomical gifts.

9. " Driver license" means a license or permit that is issued pursuant to title 28 to operate a vehicle, whether or not conditions are attached to the license or permit.

10. " Eye bank" means a person that is licensed or regulated under federal or state law or is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency to engage in the recovery, screening, testing, processing, storage or distribution of human eyes or portions of human eyes.

11. " Guardian" means a person who is appointed by a court to make decisions regarding the support, care, education, health or welfare of an individual. Guardian does not include a guardian ad litem.

12. " Hospital" means a facility that is licensed as a hospital under the laws of any state or that is operated as a hospital by the United States, a state or a subdivision of a state.

13. " Identification card" means a nonoperating identification license that is issued by the motor vehicle division of the department of transportation.

14. " Know" means to have actual knowledge.

15. " Minor" means an individual who is under eighteen years of age.

16. " Nontransplant anatomical donation organization" means a tissue bank or other organization that facilitates nontransplant anatomical donations, including facilitation through referrals, obtaining informed consent or authorization and assessing donor acceptability and through the acquisition, traceability, transporting, preparation, packaging, labeling, storage, release, evaluating intended use, distribution and final disposition of nontransplant anatomical donations.

17. " Organ procurement organization" means a person that is designated by the secretary of the United States department of health and human services as an organ procurement organization.

18. " Parent" means a parent whose parental rights have not been terminated.

19. " Part" means an organ, eye or tissue of a human being. Part does not include the whole body.

20. " 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.

21. " Physician" means an individual who is licensed as a physician pursuant to title 32, chapter 13 or 17.

22. " Principal" means a person who is the subject of a health care power of attorney.

23. " Procurement organization" means any of the following:

(a) An organ procurement organization.

(b) A tissue bank.

(c) An eye bank.

(d) A storage facility that is licensed, accredited or approved under federal law or the laws of any state to engage in the recovery, screening, testing, processing or storage of human bodies or parts.

(e) A nontransplant anatomical donation organization.

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

25. " 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.

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

27. " 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.

28. " Refusal" means a record created pursuant to section 36-846 that expressly states an intent to bar other persons from making an anatomical gift of an individual's body or part.

29. " Sign" , with respect to the present intent to authenticate or adopt a record, means either:

(a) To execute or adopt a tangible symbol.

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

30. " 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.

31. " Technician" means an individual who is determined to be qualified to remove or process parts by an appropriate organization that is licensed or regulated under federal or state law or is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency. Technician includes an enucleator.

32. " Tissue" means all or a portion of the human body other than blood, an organ or an eye unless the blood, organ or eye is donated for the purpose of research or education.

33. " Tissue bank" means a person that is licensed or regulated under federal or state law or is accredited as a tissue bank by a nationally recognized accrediting agency to engage in the recovery, screening, testing, processing, storage or distribution of tissue.

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