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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>74895</law_id><section_number>32.1-291.2</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="32.1">Health</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="8">Postmortem Examinations and Services</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="2">Anatomical Gifts</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this Act, unless the context requires otherwise:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Adult</span>&#x201D; means an individual who is at least 18 years of age.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Agent</span>&#x201D; means an individual:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Authorized to make health-care decisions on the principal&#x2019;s behalf by a <span class="dictionary">power of attorney</span> for health care; or <a id="paragraph-269060" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/32.1-291.2/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Expressly authorized to make an <span class="dictionary">anatomical gift</span> on the principal&#x2019;s behalf by any other <span class="dictionary">record</span> signed by the principal.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Anatomical gift</span>&#x201D; means a donation of all or <span class="dictionary">part</span> of a human body to take effect after the donor&#x2019;s death for the purpose of transplantation, therapy, research, or education.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Decedent</span>&#x201D; means a deceased individual whose body or <span class="dictionary">part</span> is or may be the source of an <span class="dictionary">anatomical gift</span>. The term includes a stillborn infant and, subject to restrictions imposed by <span class="dictionary">law</span> other than this Act, a fetus.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Disinterested witness</span>&#x201D; means a witness other than the spouse, child, <span class="dictionary">parent</span>, sibling, grandchild, grandparent, or guardian of the individual who makes, <span class="dictionary">amends</span>, revokes, or refuses to make an <span class="dictionary">anatomical gift</span>, or another <span class="dictionary">adult</span> who exhibited special care and concern for the individual. The term does not include a <span class="dictionary">person</span> to whom an <span class="dictionary">anatomical gift</span> could pass under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Persons that may receive anatomical gift; purpose of anatomical gift" href="/32.1-291.11/">32.1-291.11</a>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Document of gift</span>&#x201D; means a donor card or other <span class="dictionary">record</span> used to make an <span class="dictionary">anatomical gift</span>. The term includes a statement or symbol on a driver&#x2019;s license, <span class="dictionary">identification card</span>, or <span class="dictionary">donor registry</span>.
			&#x201C;Donor&#x201D; means an individual whose body or <span class="dictionary">part</span> is the subject of an <span class="dictionary">anatomical gift</span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Donor registry</span>&#x201D; means a database that contains <span class="dictionary">records</span> of <span class="dictionary">anatomical gifts</span>.
			&#x201C;Driver&#x2019;s license&#x201D; means a license or other document issued by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Motor Vehicles under Chapter 3 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Driving without license prohibited; penalties" href="/46.2-300/">46.2-300</a> et seq.) of Title 46.2 authorizing the operation of a motor vehicle upon the highways, whether or not conditions are attached to the license or other document.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Eye bank</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">person</span> that is licensed, accredited, or regulated under federal or <span class="dictionary">state</span> <span class="dictionary">law</span> to engage in the recovery, screening, testing, processing, storage, or distribution of human eyes or portions of human eyes and that is a member of the Virginia Transplant Council, accredited by the <span class="dictionary">Eye Bank</span> Association of America or the American Association of <span class="dictionary">Tissue Banks</span> and operating in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
			&#x201C;Guardian&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">person</span> appointed by a <span class="dictionary">court</span> to make decisions regarding the support, care, education, health, or welfare of an individual. The term does not include a <span class="dictionary">guardian ad litem</span>, except when the <span class="dictionary">guardian ad litem</span> is authorized by a <span class="dictionary">court</span> to consent to donation.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Hospital</span>&#x201D; means a facility licensed as a <span class="dictionary">hospital</span> under the <span class="dictionary">law</span> of any <span class="dictionary">state</span> or a facility operated as a <span class="dictionary">hospital</span> by the United <span class="dictionary">States</span>, a <span class="dictionary">state</span>, or a subdivision of a <span class="dictionary">state</span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Identification card</span>&#x201D; means an <span class="dictionary">identification card</span> issued by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Motor Vehicles under Chapter 3 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Driving without license prohibited; penalties" href="/46.2-300/">46.2-300</a> et seq.) of Title 46.2.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Know</span>&#x201D; means to have actual knowledge.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Minor</span>&#x201D; means an individual who is under 18 years of age.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Organ procurement organization</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">person</span> designated by the Secretary of the United <span class="dictionary">States</span> <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Health and Human Services as an <span class="dictionary">organ procurement organization</span> that is also a member of the Virginia Transplant Council.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Parent</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">parent</span> whose parental rights have not been terminated.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Part</span>&#x201D; means an organ, an eye, or tissue of a human being. The term does not include the whole body.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person</span>&#x201D; 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.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Physician</span>&#x201D; means an individual authorized to practice medicine or osteopathy under the <span class="dictionary">law</span> of any <span class="dictionary">state</span>.
			&#x201C;Procurement organization&#x201D; means an <span class="dictionary">eye bank</span>, <span class="dictionary">organ procurement organization</span>, or <span class="dictionary">tissue bank</span> that is a member of the Virginia Transplant Council.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Prospective donor</span>&#x201D; means an individual who is dead or whose death is imminent and has been determined by a procurement organization to have a <span class="dictionary">part</span> that could be medically suitable for transplantation, therapy, research, or education. The term does not include an individual who has made a <span class="dictionary">refusal</span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Reasonably available</span>&#x201D; 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 <span class="dictionary">anatomical gift</span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Recipient</span>&#x201D; means an individual into whose body a <span class="dictionary">decedent</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">part</span> has been or is intended to be transplanted.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Record</span>&#x201D; 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.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Refusal</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">record</span> created under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Refusal to make anatomical gift; effect of refusal" href="/32.1-291.7/">32.1-291.7</a> that expressly <span class="dictionary">states</span> an <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to bar other <span class="dictionary">persons</span> from making an <span class="dictionary">anatomical gift</span> of an individual&#x2019;s body or <span class="dictionary">part</span>.
			&#x201C;Sign&#x201D; means, with the present <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to authenticate or adopt a <span class="dictionary">record</span>: <a id="paragraph-269061" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/32.1-291.2/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> To execute or adopt a tangible symbol; or <a id="paragraph-269062" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/32.1-291.2/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> To attach to or logically associate with the <span class="dictionary">record</span> an electronic symbol, sound, or process.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">state</span> of the United <span class="dictionary">States</span>, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United <span class="dictionary">States</span> Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular <span class="dictionary">possession</span> subject to the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> of the United <span class="dictionary">States</span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Technician</span>&#x201D; means an individual determined to be qualified to remove or process <span class="dictionary">parts</span> by an appropriate organization that is licensed, accredited, or regulated under federal or <span class="dictionary">state</span> <span class="dictionary">law</span>. The term includes an enucleator.
			&#x201C;Tissue&#x201D; 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.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Tissue bank</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">person</span> that is licensed, accredited, or regulated under federal or <span class="dictionary">state</span> <span class="dictionary">law</span> to engage in the recovery, screening, testing, processing, storage, or distribution of tissue and that is a member of the Virginia Transplant Council, accredited by the American Association of <span class="dictionary">Tissue Banks</span>, and operating in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Transplant hospital</span>&#x201D; means a hospital that furnishes organ transplants and other medical and surgical specialty services required for the care of transplant patients. <a id="paragraph-269063" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/32.1-291.2/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2007, cc. 92, 907; 2020, cc. 1227, 1246.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
