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Committee adds monitoring language to baby safe-haven bill and advances it to full Health
Summary
Subcommittee approved an amendment that codifies monitoring requirements for baby safe-haven boxes and corrects covered locations; sponsor and staff said alarms and 911 calls ensure rapid retrieval. The amended House Bill 18-44 was advanced to Health Full, recorded 8–0.
The Health Subcommittee on Feb. 11 approved an amendment to House Bill 18-44 that codifies monitoring requirements for baby safe-haven boxes and adds missing locations to the statutory list.
Bart Kenner, identified in the record as a research analyst for health committees, said the amendment (013053) "really makes the bill" by adding places previously omitted and by "codif[ying] that we need to have baby boxes monitored." He told the committee monitoring is tested before a box goes into service, triggers a local alarm and a 911 call so emergency responders are dispatched and DCS notified.
Members asked about response times if scheduled staff are temporarily away. Kenner said there has been no known instance of a baby not being retrieved quickly and that alarms plus 911 dispatch generally lead to retrieval within minutes. After brief discussion, the committee voted and the clerk reported "8 ayes and 0 nays;" House Bill 18-44 moves on to Health Full.
