Springfield, IL-State Senator Maggie Crotty (D-Oak Forest) is a sponsor of a new law that provides an important update to current law that allows parents, who feel they are unable to care for their infant child, to turn them over to personnel at a hospital, fire station or emergency medical facility ensuring they will be properly cared for.  House Bill 3925 amends the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act by clarifying that any fire station can be a location to surrender a newborn if at least one staff person is on duty.  In addition, this legislation expands the age of which the infant can be surrendered.  Previously, infants had to be under a week old.  Under this new measure, infants can now be surrendered up to a month old.

Originally, this law only provided parents immunity if the infant was under a week old, now the parent will have immunity from prosecution for child abuse, neglect or abandonment if the child in under 30 days old.

Illinois recognizes that newborn infants have been abandoned in various circumstances that are unsafe and have resulted in death or severe bodily harm to the infant. 

“We need to ensure that newborns are not abandoned,” said Senator Crotty.  “This legislation will give an alternative to parents who are unable to care for their children, whatever the reason may be.”