Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 18 Sec. 5250i

  • Adult: means an individual who is at least 18 years of age. See
  • Agent: means an individual:

  • 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. See
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Decedent: means a deceased individual whose body or part is or may be the source of an anatomical gift. See
  • following: when used by way of reference to a section of the law shall mean the next preceding or following section. See
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Part: means an organ, an eye, or tissue of a human being. See
  • 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. See
  • 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. See

§ 5250i. Who may make anatomical gift of decedent‘s body or part

(a) Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this section and unless barred by section 5250g or 5250h of this title, an anatomical gift of a decedent‘s body or part for purpose of transplantation, therapy, research, or education may be made by any member of the following classes of persons who is reasonably available, in the order of priority listed:

(1) an agent of the decedent at the time of death who could have made an anatomical gift under subdivision 5250d(2) of this title immediately before the decedent’s death;

(2) the spouse of the decedent;

(3) [Repealed.]

(4) adult children of the decedent;

(5) parents of the decedent;

(6) adult siblings of the decedent;

(7) adult grandchildren of the decedent;

(8) grandparents of the decedent;

(9) an adult who exhibited special care and concern for the decedent;

(10) the persons who were acting as the guardians of the person of the decedent at the time of death; and

(11) any other person having the authority to dispose of the decedent’s body.

(b) If there is more than one member of a class listed in subdivision (a)(1), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), or (10) of this section entitled to make an anatomical gift, an anatomical gift may be made by a member of the class unless that member or a person to which the gift may pass under section 5250k of this title knows of an objection by another member of the class. If an objection is known, the gift may be made only by a majority of the members of the class who are reasonably available.

(c) A person may not make an anatomical gift if, at the time of the decedent’s death, a person in a prior class under subsection (a) of this section is reasonably available to make or to object to the making of an anatomical gift. (Added 2009, No. 119 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2015, No. 23, § 46.)