Plain English Breakdown
Checked against official source text during the last sync.
Extending Safe Surrender Laws for Infants Up to 30 Days Old
This law expands the age limit for safe surrender sites from 72 hours old to 30 days old.
What This Bill Does
- Expands the maximum age for a child in the safe surrender program from 72 hours to 30 days.
- Requires personnel at designated safe-surrender sites, including hospitals and fire agencies, to accept custody of infants up to one month old.
- Keeps the rule that parents or guardians cannot be prosecuted for abandonment if they voluntarily give up a child at these sites.
- Maintains the requirement for site staff to notify child welfare services as soon as possible, but no later than 48 hours after taking custody.
- Imposes new duties on local officials, creating a state-mandated local program.
Who It Names or Affects
- Parents or individuals with lawful custody of infants up to 30 days old
- Personnel at designated safe-surrender sites, including hospitals and fire agencies
- County child welfare services agencies
Terms To Know
- Safe surrender site
- A location like a hospital or fire station where staff must accept custody of an infant from a parent.
- State-mandated local program
- A rule that requires the state to pay for new costs created by laws passed at the state level but carried out locally, if determined necessary.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill does not specify an exact effective date in this text.
- Reimbursement for local agencies depends on a future decision by the Commission on State Mandates regarding costs.