Anatomy Board

Arizona State Library, Archives & Records COVID-19 Response – Temporarily suspending all in-person services, while maintaining our statutory responsibilities

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Revision Date: 
Wednesday, September 30, 2020

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Arizona Department of Health Services

Authority - Transferred

The Anatomy Board was created by Laws 1951, Chapter 144. Its responsibilities were assumed by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) in 1974.

ADHS absorbed a number of agencies including the State Department of Health, Arizona Health Planning Authority, Crippled Children’s Services, Arizona State Hospital, Pioneers’ Home and Hospital, and the Anatomy Board.

The purpose of the 1973 act was to integrate health services to reduce duplication of administrative efforts, services and expenditures and promote a means for people with health problems to find a solution in a single department’s coordinated service. (Laws 1973, Chapter 158 – Purpose)

The authority, funding, functions and programs that were repealed and transferred to ADHS were allowed to continue for a period of time in order to allow for establishment of the new agency. An executive order certifying a plan of assumption was required in order to establish an effective date for the new agency. Governor Jack Williams issued a series of executive orders in 1974 (See EO 74-2, EO 74-3, EO 74-4, and EO 74-6).

Function

The Anatomy Board (Board) was created for the purpose of distributing dead human bodies to qualified institutions and persons for scientific purposes related to medicine and dentistry. The measure applied only to bodies that would be buried at public expense and specified exemptions for those persons who had made a request to be buried or cremated or whose bodies were claimed by relatives or friends. The measure also exempted bodies of those who had died from smallpox, diphtheria or scarlet fever.

The Board consisted of five members appointed by the Governor. When created in 1951,the members included one faculty member from the University of Arizona (U of A); one faculty member from the Arizona State College at Tempe; one member of the Arizona medical profession; one practicing member of the Arizona dental profession; and the Arizona Director of Public Health, who served as chairman. Membership was modified in 1967 to name the Board chairman as the dean of the U of A medical school rather than the Arizona Director of Public Health. The measure also made conforming changes to: 1) clarify that the faculty member from the U of A had to be someone other than the dean of the medical school and 2) reflect the name change of the Arizona State College at Tempe to Arizona State University.

 

The Board was authorized to receive or direct the delivery of bodies to hospitals, colleges and universities, physicians, surgeons and dentists. The Board was required to establish record keeping requirements and to adopt rules, regulations and procedures. A violation was classified as a misdemeanor and carried a fine of at least $100, but not more than $1,000.

History

Laws 1951, Chapter 144 created the five-member Anatomy Board and authorized the disposal of dead human bodies for scientific purposes. The measure outlined specific procedures relating to notification requirements, receipt and delivery of bodies; exceptions; expenses; record-keeping, rules and regulations; and penalties. The measure included an emergency clause and became effective when signed by the Governor on March 29, 1951.

Laws 1967, Chapter 23 designated the chairman of the Board as the dean of the medical school at the U of A, modified language related to selection of the faculty member from the U of A, and made a conforming change to reflect the name change of Arizona State University.

Laws 1973, Chapter 158, section 317 repealed the Anatomy Board and transferred its duties to the Arizona Department of Health Services, which was established by the 1973 measure. The Director of ADHS was required to work with a legislative committee until July 1, 1975 regarding organization and operation of the new department. The provisions of law relating to disposal of bodies subject to burial at public expense were retained essentially as written in 1951 (A.R.S. §§36-803 to 36-808). In addition, a section relating to disposal of the body of a person executed at state prison not claimed by relatives or friends was incorporated as A.R.S. §36-805.

Laws 1978, Chapter 201 classified violation of a rule as a petty offense, rather than a misdemeanor, and eliminated the fine.

Sources

Related collections at Arizona State Archives

  • Record Group 050 – Arizona Department of Health Services

Related histories

  • Department of Health Services
Related Histories: 
Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS)