Legislative Session number- 81

Bill Name: SF2615

E Providing a procedure for leaving unharmed newborns at hospitals with a
hospital employee; requiring licensed hospitals to receive unharmed newborn
babies left with hospital employees on hospital premises within a certain number
of hours of birth and prohibiting the hospital from inquiring about the identity
of the mother or the person leaving the newborn or calling the police,
authorizing the asking of medical history questions, person leaving the newborn
not to be required to answer; authorizing the hospitals to provide the mother or
person with information relating to contacting relevant social service agencies;
requiring the hospitals to inform the local welfare agency within a certain
number of hours of receiving the newborn, requiring the mother or person leaving
the newborn to be allowed to leave the hospital before providing the notice;
exempting hospitals and employees or medical professionals and persons mandated
to report under the maltreatment of minors act from criminal and civil liability
for receiving newborn babies and for failure to report; exempting local social
service agencies taking custody of children after discharge from the hospital
from certain family reunification and relative search or preference requirements
in placing the children; providing for the status of newborns left at hospitals
as abandoned for child protection and adoption purposes; prohibiting prosecution
of persons leaving the newborn babies at hospitals under certain conditions (mk,
ja)