2019 Arkansas Code
Title 20 - Public Health and Welfare
Subtitle 2 - Health and Safety
Chapter 18 - Vital Statistics Act
Subchapter 1 - General Provisions
§ 20-18-102. Definitions

(1) “Board” means the State Board of Health;

(2) “Date of filing” means the date a vital record is accepted for registration by the Division of Vital Records of the Department of Health;

(3) “Dead body” means a human body or parts of a human body from the condition of which it reasonably may be concluded that death occurred;

(4)

• (A) “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 and which is not an induced termination of pregnancy. The death is indicated by the fact that after the 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. Heartbeats shall be distinguished from the transient cardiac contractions. Respirations shall be distinguished from fleeting respiratory efforts or gasps.

• (B) “Induced termination of pregnancy” means the purposeful interruption of pregnancy with the intention other than to produce a live-born infant, and which does not result in a live birth, except that this definition excludes management of prolonged retention of products of conception following fetal death.

• (C) “Spontaneous fetal death”, “stillbirth”, or “miscarriage” 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;

(5) “File” means the presentation and acceptance of a vital record provided for in this chapter for registration by the Division of Vital Records;

(6) “Final disposition” means the burial, interment, cremation, removal from Arkansas, or other authorized disposition of a dead body or fetus;

(7) “Institution” means any establishment, public or private, which provides inpatient or out-patient medical, surgical, or diagnostic care or treatment or nursing, custodial, or domiciliary care, or to which persons are committed by law;

(8) “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 the 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. Heartbeats shall be distinguished from transient cardiac contractions. Respirations shall be distinguished from fleeting respiratory efforts or gasps;

(9) “Physician” means a person authorized or licensed to practice medicine, chiropractic, or osteopathy pursuant to the laws of this state;

(10) “Registration” means the process by which vital records are completed, filed, and incorporated into the official records of the Division of Vital Records;

(11) “State registrar” means the State Registrar of Vital Records;

(12) “System of vital statistics” includes 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, publication, and dissemination of vital statistics;

(13) “Vital records” means certificates or reports of birth, death, marriage, divorce, or annulment and the data related thereto;

(14) “Vital reports” means reports of fetal death and induced termination of pregnancy and data related thereto; and

(15) “Vital statistics” means the data derived from certificates and reports of birth, death, fetal death, induced termination of pregnancy, marriage, divorce, or annulment and related reports but does not mean or include the unintentional destruction of a fetus in performance of the surgical procedure dilation and curettage.