26:6-85 Person authorized to make anatomical gift of a decedent's body.

26:6-85  Person authorized to make anatomical gift of a decedent's body. 
9. a. (1) Subject to the provisions of this act, an anatomical gift of a decedent's body or part may be made by any member of the following classes of persons who is reasonably available, in the order of priority listed:

(a)an agent of the decedent at the time of the decedent's death who could have made an anatomical gift immediately before the decedent's death pursuant to section 4 of this act;

(b)the spouse, civil union partner, or domestic partner of the decedent;

(c)an adult child of the decedent;

(d)either parent of the decedent;

(e)an adult sibling of the decedent;

(f)another adult who is related to the decedent by blood, marriage, or adoption, or exhibited special care and concern for the decedent;

(g)a person who was acting as the guardian of the person of the decedent at the time of the decedent's death; and

(h)any other person having the authority to dispose of the decedent's body, including the administrator of a hospital in which the decedent was a patient or resident immediately preceding death.  In the absence of actual notice of contrary indication by the decedent, the administrator shall make an anatomical gift of a decedent's body or part.

(2)If there is more than one member of a class as specified in subparagraphs (a) through (g) of paragraph (1) of this subsection who is entitled to make an anatomical gift, a member of the class may make an anatomical gift unless that member or a person to whom the gift may pass pursuant to section 10 of this act knows of an objection by another member of the class.  If an objection is known, the gift shall be made only by a majority of the members of the class who are reasonably available.  Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require that all members of the class authorize the making of the gift or participate in the decision to make the gift.

(3)A person may not make an anatomical gift if, at the time of the decedent's death, a person in a prior class as specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection is reasonably available to make or object to the making of an anatomical gift.

b. (1) A person authorized to make an anatomical gift pursuant to subsection a. of this section may make an anatomical gift by a document of gift signed by the person making the gift or by that person's oral communication that is electronically recorded or is contemporaneously reduced to a record and signed by the individual receiving the oral communication.

(2)Subject to the provisions of paragraph (3) of this subsection, an anatomical gift by a person authorized to make the gift pursuant to subsection a. of this section may be amended or revoked orally or in a record by any member of a prior class who is reasonably available.  If more than one member of the prior class is reasonably available, the gift made by the authorized person may be:

(a)amended only if a majority of the reasonably available members agree to amending the gift; or

(b)revoked only if a majority of the reasonably available members agree to revoking the gift or if they are equally divided as to whether to revoke the gift.

(3)A revocation made pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be effective only if, before an incision has been made to remove a part from the donor's body or before invasive procedures have begun to prepare the recipient, the procurement organization, transplant hospital, or physician or technician knows of the revocation.  A procurement organization, transplant hospital, or physician or technician with knowledge of a revocation shall make a best effort to communicate that information to the other parties involved in order to stop the anatomical gift recovery process.