Bill > H4696

This bill amends South Carolina's Safe Haven law to increase the age at which an infant can be legally and safely surrendered from 60 days to one year old. Under the proposed changes, parents or individuals acting on behalf of parents can leave an infant at designated safe havens—including hospitals, hospital outpatient facilities, law enforcement agencies, fire stations, emergency medical services stations, or staffed houses of worship—without facing criminal prosecution, provided they leave the infant directly with a staff member and do not harm the child. The law specifically clarifies that the protection from prosecution does not extend to any intentional harm inflicted on the infant beyond the act of surrender. By expanding the age limit from 60 days to one year, the bill provides parents or guardians with a broader window of time to safely surrender an infant if they are unable to care for the child, with the primary goal of ensuring the infant's safety and preventing potential harm or neglect.

Justice

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=4696&session=126&summary=B