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House passes bill to allow safe anonymous infant drop‑offs, 65–5
Summary
The House approved first substitute House Bill 12, intended to provide safe, anonymous locations for infants and increase adoptions, 65–5. Sponsors framed the measure as life‑saving and said it balances support for relinquishing parents and adoptive families.
The Utah House approved first substitute House Bill 12, 65–5, advancing a measure supporters said creates a safe, legal option for parents who might otherwise abandon infants in unsafe places.
Representative Arndt, the bill sponsor, told members the measure is not named for any private organization but rather aims to "save a child that may end up in an anonymous but very unsafe place." Arndt said the bill was modeled on measures used in other states and that language about "substantial compliance" provides a workable threshold for determining when the safe‑drop protections apply.
Representative Adair and Representative Gary Cox both expressed support on the floor. Cox, who identified himself as an adoptive parent, said the bill “very simply makes more babies available for adoption instead of for burial,” and called it a “good bill.” Committee proponents circulated a list of supporting organizations, including the Utah Adoption Council, the attorney general's office and hospital and nursing organizations.
After floor debate and summation, the House closed voting on the first substitute and recorded 65 yes votes and 5 no votes; the bill will be referred to the Senate for further consideration.
The sponsor and proponents emphasized child safety and that the statute had been tailored to include reasonable compliance standards rather than an exact age test. Opponents' remarks on the floor were limited; the vote advanced the bill to the Senate stage.
