1. Sections 194.210 to 194.294 may be cited as the “Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act”.

2. As used in sections 194.210 to 194.294, the following terms mean:

Terms Used In Missouri Laws 194.210

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Donor: The person who makes a gift.
  • following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Guardian: if used in a section in a context relating to property rights or obligations, means conservator of the estate as defined in chapter 475. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
  • State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • United States: includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020

(1) “Adult”, an individual who is at least eighteen years of age;

(2) “Agent”, 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”, a donation of all or part of a human body to take effect after the donor‘s death for the purposes of transplantation, therapy, research, or education;

(4) “Decedent”, a deceased individual whose body or part is or may be the source of an anatomical gift. The term includes a stillborn infant but does not include an unborn child as defined in section 1.205 or 188.015 if the child has not died of natural causes;

(5) “Disinterested witness”, 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. The term does not include a person to which an anatomical gift could pass under section 194.255;

(6) “Document of gift”, 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;

(7) “Donor”, an individual whose body or part is the subject of an anatomical gift provided that donor does not include an unborn child as defined in section 1.205 or section 188.015 if the child has not died of natural causes;

(8) “Donor registry”, a database that contains records of anatomical gifts and amendments to or revocations of anatomical gifts;

(9) “Driver’s license”, a license or permit issued by the department of revenue to operate a vehicle whether or not conditions are attached to the license or permit;

(10) “Eye bank”, 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;

(11) “Guardian”, a person appointed by a court pursuant to chapter 475. The term does not include a guardian ad litem;

(12) “Hospital”, a facility licensed as a hospital under the laws of any state or a facility operated as a hospital by the United States, a state, or a subdivision of a state;

(13) “Identification card”, an identification card issued by the department of revenue;

(14) “Know”, to have actual knowledge;

(15) “Minor”, an individual who is under eighteen years of age;

(16) “Organ procurement organization”, an entity designated by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services as an organ procurement organization;

(17) “Parent”, a parent whose parental rights have not been terminated;

(18) “Part”, an organ, an eye, or tissue of a human being. The term does not include the whole body;

(19) “Person”, 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;

(20) “Physician”, an individual authorized to practice medicine or osteopathy under the laws of any state;

(21) “Potential donor”, an individual whose body or part is the subject of an anatomical gift, provided that donor does not include an unborn child, as defined in section 188.015, if the child has not died of natural causes;

(22) “Procurement organization”, an eye bank, organ procurement organization, tissue bank, or an entity lawfully established and operated for the procurement and distribution of anatomical gifts to be used as donated organs, donated tissues, or for appropriate scientific or medical research;

(23) “Prospective donor”, 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;

(24) “Reasonably available”, able to be contacted by a procurement organization with reasonable effort and willing and able to act in a timely manner consistent with existing medical criteria necessary for the making of an anatomical gift;

(25) “Recipient”, an individual into whose body a decedent‘s part has been or is intended to be transplanted;

(26) “Record”, information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form;

(27) “Refusal”, a record created under section 194.235 that expressly states an intent to bar other persons from making an anatomical gift of an individual’s body or part;

(28) “Sign”, with the present intent to authenticate or adopt a record:

(a) To execute or adopt a tangible symbol; or

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

(29) “State”, 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 United States;

(30) “Technician”, 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 eye enucleator;

(31) “Tissue”, 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 purposes of research or education;

(32) “Tissue bank”, 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;

(33) “Transplant hospital”, a hospital that furnishes organ transplants and other medical and surgical specialty services required for the care of transplant patients.