HB 473 – Revise Laws/Safe Surrender/Infants
Primary House Sponsors: Rep Donna White (R-Johnston); Rep. John Bradford, III (R-Mecklenburg); Rep. Dennis Riddell (R-Alamance)
Summary
This bill:
- Identifies the categories of individuals, including a health care provider who is on duty or at a hospital, local/district health department, or nonprofit community health center, who must take into temporary custody an infant reasonably believed to be under 7 days of age that is voluntarily delivered to the individual by the infant’s parent who does not express an intent to return.
- Requires any individual who takes an infant into temporary custody to perform any act necessary to protect the physical health and well-being of the infant and notify the department of social services in the county where the infant is surrendered.
- Provides immunity for any individual to whom an infant was surrendered from any civil or criminal liability.
- Identifies certain information related to the infant as confidential.
- Describes the required response of any director of a department of social services who receives a safely surrendered infant.
- States the rights of the surrendering parent.
- Requires DHHS to create and distribute information about infant safe surrender and the rights of parents.
Movement
Filed – 3/31/2021