(A) Subject to divisions (B) and (C) of this section, and unless barred by section 2108.07 or 2108.08 of the Revised Code, an anatomical gift of a decedent‘s body or part for purpose of transplantation, therapy, research, or education may be made in the manner provided for under section 2108.10 of the Revised Code by any member of the following classes of persons who is reasonably available, in the following order of priority:

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Terms Used In Ohio Code 2108.09

  • Another: when used to designate the owner of property which is the subject of an offense, includes not only natural persons but also every other owner of property. See Ohio Code 1.02
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59

(1) An agent of the decedent at the time of death who could have made an anatomical gift under division (B) of section 2108.04 of the Revised Code immediately before the decedent’s death;

(2) The decedent’s surviving spouse;

(3) The decedent’s surviving adult children;

(4) The decedent’s surviving parent or parents;

(5) The decedent’s surviving adult siblings;

(6) The decedent’s surviving adult grandchildren;

(7) The decedent’s surviving grandparent or grandparents;

(8) A surviving adult who exhibited special care and concern for the decedent;

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

(10) The persons, other than those in divisions (A)(1) to (9) of this section, to whom the right of disposition for the decedent’s body has been assigned pursuant to section 2108.70 of the Revised Code or who have the right of disposition for the decedent’s body as described in section 2108.81 of the Revised Code.

(B) If there is more than one member of a class listed in division (A)(1), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), or (9) of this section entitled to make an anatomical gift, an anatomical gift may be made by a single member of the class unless that member or a person to which the gift may pass under section 2108.11 of the Revised Code 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 shall not make an anatomical gift if, at the time of the decedent’s death, a person in a prior class under division (A) of this section is reasonably available to make or object to the making of an anatomical gift.