193.015. Definitions.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

Definitions.

193.015. As used in sections 193.005 to 193.325, unless the contextclearly indicates otherwise, the following terms shall mean:

(1) "Dead body", a human body or such parts of such human body fromthe condition of which it reasonably may be concluded that death recentlyoccurred;

(2) "Department", the department of health and senior services;

(3) "Final disposition", the burial, interment, cremation, removalfrom the state, or other authorized disposition of a dead body or fetus;

(4) "Institution", any establishment, public or private, whichprovides inpatient or outpatient medical, surgical, or diagnostic care ortreatment or nursing, custodian, or domiciliary care, or to which personsare committed by law;

(5) "Live birth", the complete expulsion or extraction from itsmother of a child, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy, which aftersuch expulsion or extraction, breathes or shows any other evidence of lifesuch as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definitemovement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has beencut or the placenta is attached;

(6) "Physician", a person authorized or licensed to practice medicineor osteopathy pursuant to chapter 334, RSMo;

(7) "Spontaneous fetal death", a noninduced death prior to thecomplete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a fetus, irrespectiveof the duration of pregnancy; the death is indicated by the fact that aftersuch expulsion or extraction the fetus does not breathe or show any otherevidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilicalcord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles;

(8) "State registrar", state registrar of vital statistics of thestate of Missouri;

(9) "System of vital statistics", the registration, collection,preservation, amendment and certification of vital records; the collectionof other reports required by sections 193.005 to 193.325 and section194.060, RSMo; and activities related thereto including the tabulation,analysis and publication of vital statistics;

(10) "Vital records", certificates or reports of birth, death,marriage, dissolution of marriage and data related thereto;

(11) "Vital statistics", the data derived from certificates andreports of birth, death, spontaneous fetal death, marriage, dissolution ofmarriage and related reports.