Section 31-10-1. Definitions

   As used in this chapter, the term:

   (1) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of public health.

   (2) "Dead body" means a human body or such parts of such human body from the condition of which it reasonably may be concluded that death recently occurred.

   (3) "Department" means the Department of Public Health.

   (4) "Fetal death" means death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy; the death is indicated by the fact that after such expulsion or extraction the fetus does not breathe or show any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles.

   (5) "File" means the presentation of a vital record provided for in this chapter for registration by the State Office of Vital Records.

   (6) "Final disposition" means the burial, interment, cremation, removal from the state, or other authorized disposition of a dead body or fetus.

   (7) "Induced termination of pregnancy" means the purposeful interruption of pregnancy with the intention other than to produce a live-born infant or to remove a dead fetus and which does not result in a live birth.

   (8) "Institution" means any establishment, public or private, which provides in-patient or out-patient medical, surgical, or diagnostic care or treatment or nursing, custodial, or domiciliary care, or to which persons are committed by law.

   (9) "Live birth" means the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of human conception, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy, which, after such expulsion or extraction, breathes, or shows any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached.

   (10) "Local custodian" means the person appointed by the state registrar to maintain and certify the local records of birth and death.

   (11) "Local registrar" means the person appointed by the state registrar to collect and transmit to the department certificates of birth, death, fetal death, and any other reports required by this chapter.

   (12) "Physician" means a person authorized or licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy pursuant to Chapter 34 of Title 43.

   (13) "Registration" means the acceptance by the State Office of Vital Records and the incorporation of vital records provided for in this chapter into the vital records registration system.

   (14) "Special abstracting agent" means the person appointed by the state registrar to examine and abstract evidence and submit such information to the department in order to file delayed certificates of birth or amend certificates of birth.

   (15) "Spontaneous fetal death" means the expulsion or extraction of a product of human conception resulting in other than a live birth and which is not an induced termination of pregnancy.

   (16) "State registrar" means the person responsible for the State Office of Vital Records and the state vital records registration system.

   (17) "Stillbirth" or "stillborn" means an unintended, intrauterine fetal death after a gestational age of not less than 20 completed weeks or of a fetus with a weight of 350 grams or more.

   (18) "Vital records" means certificates or reports of birth, death, marriage, divorce, dissolution of marriage, or annulment and data related thereto.

   (19) "Vital records registration system" means the registration, collection, preservation, amendment, and certification of vital records; the collection of other reports required by this chapter; and activities related thereto including the tabulation, analysis, and print or electronic publication of vital statistics.

   (20) "Vital statistics" means the data derived from certificates and reports of birth, death, spontaneous fetal death, induced termination of pregnancy, marriage, divorce, dissolution of marriage, or annulment and related reports.

Ga. L. 1945, p. 236, § 2; Ga. L. 1952, p. 208, § 1; Ga. L. 1953, Jan.-Feb. Sess., p. 140, § 1; Code 1933, § 88-1702, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, p. 499, § 1; Code 1933, § 88-1701, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 723, § 1; Code 1981, § 31-10-2; Code 1981, § 31-10-1, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 723, § 2; Ga. L. 2004, p. 477, § 1; Ga. L. 2008, p. 585, § 2/SB 381; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, §§ 1-4, 1-6/HB 228; Ga. L. 2010, p. 838, § 11/SB 388; Ga. L. 2011, p. 705, §§ 6-3, 6-5/HB 214.