The Alaska Senate passed a bill that would allow devices designed to prevent infant abandonment in the state.
The Alaska Senate advanced the bill, which would legalize Safe Haven Baby Boxes, on an 18-2 vote. Sens. Bert Stedman, a Sitka Republican, and Löki Tobin, an Anchorage Democrat, voted no, the Alaska Beacon reported on Tuesday.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes were created to deter parents from abandoning their newborns, potentially leaving them to die. Baby boxes are temperature-controlled incubators often built into exterior walls of fire stations, police stations, and hospitals, and can be accessed from inside. At-risk mothers can safely and legally place their newborns inside. Then, the outside door locks, and mothers have time to get away before an alarm goes off, alerting first responders or hospital staff inside.
The baby is then quickly removed and sent to a hospital for a wellness check. From there, the baby is usually placed into state custody and often quickly adopted.
Alaska has had its Safe Haven law since 2008, which allows for the in-person surrender of newborns up to 21 days old to fire stations, hospitals, and police officers.
Republican Sen. Robb Myers, who is the lead sponsor of the bill, said around one baby a year has been surrendered in the state since 2008 under the current law.
“Despite that, three infants have been found abandoned in Alaska since 2013: Two were found dead; one newborn was discovered alive in Fairbanks in a box in winter,” according to the report. “Myers said safe surrender devices would help save lives. Parents can feel shame or the fear of potential recognition when giving a child to another person, he said. The climate-controlled boxes are intended to remove that barrier.”
The Anchorage Fire Department, the Alaska Children’s Trust, and the City of Fairbanks back the bill. The bill will now advance to the Alaska House for consideration.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes launched nine years ago in Indiana and has expanded nationwide with at least 425 locations. More than 70 newborns have been surrendered to baby boxes across the United States, according to the organization. Safe Haven Baby Boxes also says it has assisted at least 150 people with safe surrenders to other safe haven locations.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes has a confidential National Safe Haven Hotline, 1-866-99BABY1, that provides free counseling and information about safe surrenders, including face-to-face surrenders.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.