Georgia Expands Safe Haven Law to Include Baby Boxes

Lawmakers in Georgia have approved a measure to extend the state’s safe haven law, allowing for the implementation of baby boxes. Last week, both the House and Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of House Bill 350, which passed with votes of 164-4 in the House and 49-1 in the Senate. The bill now awaits the signature of Governor Brian Kemp.

If signed into law, Georgia will join 20 other states that have recognized baby boxes as safe and legal options for surrendering newborns. These baby boxes are basically temperature-controlled incubators that are typically installed in the outer walls of fire stations, police stations, and hospitals. They’re designed to help parents who might feel hopeless, giving them a safe way to leave their newborns without risking abandonment. Once a baby is placed inside, the door locks, allowing the parent time to leave before the alarm is triggered, alerting first responders.

Once the baby is retrieved from the box, they are taken to a hospital for health checks and are usually placed into state custody, where they can then be quickly adopted.

The initiative for this bill, dubbed the “Eliza Jane Warner Act,” comes from Republican State Representative Mike Cameron. The name is a poignant reminder: it’s named after a newborn who tragically died after being abandoned in a cooler by her mother in 2019. The mother, Caroline Riley Propes, was sentenced to over 20 years in prison in 2021 for her actions.

During a public hearing, Eliza Jane’s grandmother shared a heartfelt testimony which influenced lawmakers to honor the baby with the bill’s name. “We may not have been able to save Eliza Jane. We don’t know that for sure, but there are definitely other babies like her who could be saved if we put these safeguards in place,” remarked Cameron.

Currently, Georgia’s Safe Haven law permits the legal in-person surrender of an unharmed newborn, within 30 days of birth, at designated locations like hospitals or fire stations. The concept of Safe Haven Baby Boxes originated in Indiana about nine years ago, and it has since expanded to include at least 425 locations nationwide. To date, over 70 babies have been surrendered through these boxes across the U.S., with the organization noting that it has also facilitated the safe transfer of around 150 people to other safe havens.

The Safe Haven Baby Box organization operates a confidential hotline offering counseling and information on safe surrender options.