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Enrolled SB 9
LAWS OF ALASKA
2026
Source Chapter No.
HCS CSSB 9(JUD) _______
AN ACT
Relating to the surrender of infants; relating to civil history; and providing for an effective date.
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
THE ACT FOLLOWS ON PAGE 1
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AN ACT
Relating to the surrender of infants; relating to civil history; and providing for an effective date. 1
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* Section 1. AS 47.05.325(a) is amended to read: 3
(a) The Department of Health and the Department of Family and Community 4
Services shall establish by regulation civil history standards for denial of issuance or 5
renewal of a license or certification for an individual or for an entity within that 6
department's licensing or certification authority if the individual who is applying for a 7
license, license renewal, certification, or certification renewal is 8
(1) a biological or adoptive parent, guardian, custodian, or Indian 9
custodian of a child who is or was the subject of a child-in-need-of-aid petition under 10
AS 47.10 and the individual had custody of the child at the time the child was the subject 11
of a petition, unless the only basis in the petition for alleging that the child was a 12
child in need of aid under AS 47.10.011 was that the child was surrendered in the 13
manner described in AS 47.10.013(c); or 14
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(2) the subject of a finding or circumstance described in 1
AS 47.05.330(a). 2
* Sec. 2. AS 47.05.330(a) is amended to read: 3
(a) The Department of Health and the Department of Family and Community 4
Services shall by regulation identify each database that department will review when 5
conducting a civil history check under AS 47.05.325 to identify each individual 6
(1) whom a court or the applicable department has found 7
(A) to have committed abuse, neglect, undue influence, or 8
exploitation of a vulnerable adult; 9
(B) under AS 47.32 or regulations adopted under AS 47.32, to 10
have significantly adversely affected the health, safety, or welfare of an 11
individual who is receiving a service from an entity licensed under AS 47.32; a 12
finding described in this subparagraph includes a decision to revoke, suspend, 13
or deny a license or license renewal, or the relinquishment of a license as part of 14
a settlement agreement; 15
(2) who has been subject to criminal or civil penalties for a violation of 16
AS 09.58, AS 47.05, AS 47.06, AS 47.07, AS 47.08, or regulations adopted under 17
AS 09.58, AS 47.05, AS 47.06, AS 47.07, or AS 47.08; 18
(3) about whom the applicable department or a court has made a 19
substantiated finding of child abuse or neglect under AS 47.10 or AS 47.14; 20
(4) who was a biological or adoptive parent, guardian, custodian, or 21
Indian custodian of a child at the time the child was the subject of a child-in-need-of-22
aid petition under AS 47.10, unless the only basis in the petition for alleging that the 23
child was a child in need of aid under AS 47.10.011 was that the child was 24
surrendered in the manner described in AS 47.10.013(c); 25
(5) who, in the course of employment with the state, has been terminated 26
from employment or has had an allegation of assaultive, abusive, neglectful, or 27
exploitive behavior or actions substantiated; 28
(6) who, in this state or another jurisdiction, for reasons related to abuse, 29
neglect, undue influence, exploitation, or other reasons that are inconsistent with 30
standards for the protection of public health, safety, or welfare, has had a professional 31
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license, certification, or similar professional designation revoked, suspended, or denied, 1
or has had a request for renewal of a professional license, certification, or similar 2
professional designation denied; 3
(7) whom another state or jurisdiction has identified on a civil registry 4
or database substantially similar to the databases identified under this section for reasons 5
substantially similar to the reasons identified in (1) - (6) of this subsection. 6
* Sec. 3. AS 47.10.013(c) is amended to read: 7
(c) A parent who is immune from prosecution under AS 11.81.500 and chooses 8
to surrender an infant shall surrender the infant in the manner described in this 9
subsection. Surrendering the infant in the manner described in this subsection 10
constitutes abandonment for purposes of this chapter. An infant's parent is considered 11
to have abandoned the infant safely, and, notwithstanding AS 25.20.030 and 12
AS 47.10.120, the parent's legal duty to support the infant is extinguished if 13
(1) the parent, without expressing an intent to return for the infant, leaves 14
the infant 15
(A) in the physical custody of a person who 16
(i) [IS A (A) PERSON] the parent reasonably believes 17
would provide for the health and safety of the infant and who would act 18
appropriately to care for the infant; 19
(ii) is a [(B)] peace officer, community health aide, 20
physician, or hospital employee; or 21
(iii) [(C) PERSON WHO] is employed by or is a 22
volunteer for a fire department or emergency medical service, if the 23
person is acting within the scope of the person's fire department or 24
emergency medical service duties; or 25
(B) in an infant safety device that 26
(i) is physically affixed to an exterior wall or located 27
inside of a hospital, emergency department, freestanding birth 28
center as defined in AS 47.32.900, health facility as defined in 29
AS 47.07.900 that is owned or managed by a tribal health 30
organization as defined in AS 17.30.200(d), office of a private 31
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physician, whether in individual or group practice, rural health 1
clinic as defined in AS 47.32.900, municipal police department, state 2
trooper post, or fire department; and 3
(ii) meets the requirements of (h) of this section; and 4
(2) there is no evidence the infant has been physically injured before 5
abandonment. 6
* Sec. 4. AS 47.10.013(d) is amended to read: 7
(d) A person to whom an infant is surrendered in the manner described in 8
(c)(1)(A)(ii) or (iii) [(c)(1)(B) OR (C)] of this section shall 9
(1) act appropriately to care for the infant; 10
(2) inform the parent that the parent may, but is not required to, answer 11
any questions regarding the name, identity, and medical history of the infant and parents 12
of the infant unless the parent chooses to contact the department under (3) of this 13
subsection; 14
(3) ask the parent if the parent wishes to relinquish the parent's parental 15
rights and release the infant for adoption; if the answer is affirmative, the person shall 16
contact the department so that the parent can discuss that option with the department; 17
(4) immediately notify the nearest office of the department that the infant 18
has been surrendered in the manner described in (c)(1)(A)(ii) or (iii) [(c)] of this section. 19
* Sec. 5. AS 47.10.013(e) is amended to read: 20
(e) An individual, agency, authorized facility, or entity that receives an infant 21
abandoned safely under (c) of this section is not liable for civil damages for failure to 22
discharge the duties listed in (d) of this section. 23
* Sec. 6. AS 47.10.013 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 24
(g) An authorized facility that receives an infant surrendered under (c)(1)(B) of 25
this section shall immediately notify the nearest office of the department that the infant 26
has been surrendered under (c)(1)(B) of this section. 27
(h) An infant safety device must be 28
(1) located in an area that is conspicuous and visible to employees of an 29
authorized facility; 30
(2) climate-controlled; 31
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(3) clearly marked with appropriate signage that includes 1
(A) a statement that only a child less than 21 days old may be 2
placed in the infant safety device; 3
(B) a statement that the parent may surrender the infant in person 4
to an employee inside an authorized facility; 5
(C) a statement that the parent may call 911 to surrender the 6
infant directly to an emergency services provider; 7
(D) a statement that the parent may call 211 or another statewide 8
service navigation provider to access resources related to family planning, 9
human trafficking, and domestic violence; and 10
(E) a statement or quick response barcode that directs the person 11
to information regarding surrendering an infant as provided for under this 12
subsection on the department's Internet website; 13
(4) equipped with 14
(A) a system that automatically transmits a request to the 911 15
emergency system for the immediate dispatch of an emergency medical services 16
provider to the location of the infant safety device when the infant safety device 17
is opened; 18
(B) a video surveillance system that allows employees of an 19
authorized facility to monitor the interior of the infant safety device 24 hours a 20
day; and 21
(C) an automated lock that secures the infant inside the infant 22
safety device after deposit; 23
(5) installed, operated, and maintained according to the manufacturer's 24
guidelines and department regulations; and 25
(6) inspected upon installation and annually by the manufacturer or 26
manufacture's designee and inspected monthly by the authorized facility in which it is 27
installed; inspections under this paragraph must be logged by the authorized facility and 28
must include testing of the device's alarms, cameras, climate control system, and locks. 29
(i) The department may provide training to emergency medical service 30
providers, 911 operators, hospital staff, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and 31
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employees of an authorized facility in how to implement and comply with the 1
requirements for the surrender of an infant as described in this section. 2
(j) If the department determines that an infant abandoned under (c)(1)(B) of this 3
section is an Indian child, the department shall immediately contact the Indian child's 4
tribe. 5
(k) In this section, "authorized facility" means a facility described in (c)(1)(B)(i) 6
of this section that has an infant safety device located at the facility. 7
* Sec. 7. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026. 8