GEORGIA
The Georgia baby dump bill is the same bill that was introduced
during the 2001 session; it's been carried over to this session.
HB 360 is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Go to
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/Legis/2001_02/sum/hb360.htm
for the summary which has links to the full text and a pdf version of
the bill. The full text is at: http://www.legis.state.ga.us/Legis/2001_02/fulltext/hb360.htm.
MARYLAND
The Maryland Safe Haven Act, SB 3, received its first reading
in the Maryland Senate on January 9, 2002. Provisions guarantee
anonymity (including language which prohibits hospital personnel from
"pursuing" the abandoner, immunity from prosecution except in cases of
abuse, and gives 30 days for the abandoner or other parent to re-gain
custody. No companion bill has been introduced in the
House. For more information go to http://mlis.state.md.us/2002rs/billfile/SB0003.htm.
MISSOURI
Baby Dump HB 1443: Safe Place for Newborns Act 2002 has been
introduced in the Missouri House and received a first hearing.
The bill permits a baby up to the age of 30 days to be left in an
authorized safe haven drop-off and offers immunity from prosecution for
the abandoner. It is not on the current calendar. The
summary can be found at http://www.house.state.mo.us/bills02/bilsum02/intro02/sHB1443I.htm
and the full text at http://www.house.state.mo.us/bills02/biltxt02/intro02/HB1443I.htm.
TENNESSEE
Bills to gut Tennessee's recently passed Safe Haven law have been
introduced into the Tennessee House and Senate. HB 2426 and its
companion SB 2697 requires those receiving abandoned babies under
the auspices of the current law to "positively identify" the person
abandoning the infant and to follow the same procedures to terminate
parental rights as surrenders under the previous law. The
complete bill is at
http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BillCompanioninfo.aspBillNumber=HB24226.
VIRGINIA
Baby Dump bill SB 168 was killed 8-7 in Senate Courts in
mid-January. Baby dump bill HB 920, a similar bill, is currently
in committee hearings. The bill can be found at
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=021&typ=bil&val=hb920.
WASHINGTON
Washington's new SB 5236 has passed the Senate unanimously and is
now in the House. The proposal has the standard baby dump language with
the caveat that the state does not encourage legal baby abandonment
with this proposal. Go to
www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2001-02/Senate/5225-5249/5236-s_e_01182002.txt
for the full text of the bill.
Marley Greiner, Executive Chair of Bastard Nation, issues a weekly
update on baby abandonment news and legislation. If you'd like to
subscribe contact Marley at maddogmarley@worldnet.att.net.
(This feature appeared in the Winter 2002 issue of the Bastard Quarterly.)
Copyright 2002 Bastard Nation
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