Bill > SB1773

This bill amends Tennessee law regarding the voluntary surrender of infants, primarily by expanding the types of facilities that can safely receive a newborn left in their care and clarifying the procedures that follow. Specifically, it adds "ambulance station that has staff scheduled twenty-four (24) hours a day" to the list of locations where an infant can be safely surrendered, alongside existing options like fire stations and hospitals. The bill also refines the language to consistently state that these facilities must have staff "scheduled" continuously, rather than just "staffed," and clarifies that the infant must be retrieved from a "newborn safety device" that is conspicuous and visible to staff. Furthermore, it mandates that if an employee or medical professional at one of these facilities takes custody of an infant, they must immediately arrange for the infant to be transported to the nearest hospital emergency room, where they will have implied consent for necessary medical treatment, and the hospital must then notify the Department of Children's Services, which will assume care and custody of the child.