LINCOLN- Less than three months ago, a baby boy just a few hours old was left at Omaha Fire Station. While technically, based on Nebraska law, the drop-off was illegal, no charges were pressed. Nebraska’s first Safe Haven Law was passed in 2008. It originally allowed parents to surrender children up to 18 years old at a hospital. That was quickly changed as 36 children were left to the state.

“I don’t think there was a lot of thought that was put into the idea,” said Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue. “It was just that we wanted to save kids.” The law now allows parents to surrender their infant face-to-face at a hospital within 30 days of birth. Sen. Holdcroft aims to broaden the law and reduce barriers for parents facing this difficult decision. He introduced LB876: an updated Newborn Safe Haven Act.

The bill expands the locations where parents can surrender a baby to include hospitals and fire and law enforcement stations manned 24/7. They can also call 911 and let emergency services take the baby to safety. The proposed act extends the age an infant can legally be surrendered from 30 days to 90, and it eliminates the requirement for face-to-face surrender.

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