HB 29 - SAFE HAVEN FOR INFANTS 2:48:35 PM CHAIR RAMRAS announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 29, "An Act relating to infants who are safely surrendered by a parent shortly after birth." [Before the committee was CSHB 29(HES).] 2:49:19 PM CHRISTINE MARASIGAN, Staff to Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, Alaska State Legislature, presented HB 29 on behalf of Representative LeDoux, joint prime sponsor. She stated that HB 29 is also known as the Safe Haven for Infants Act, that it has the potential to save the lives of infants up to 21 days of age, that similar legislation passed the House last year, and that there is similar legislation in 47 other states. She mentioned that members' packets contain information about the legislation in those other states. In response to a question, she said CSHB 29(HES) is not substantially different from what passed the House last year, though the list of people to whom an infant can be surrendered has been expanded and the age limit is now 21 days of age. CHAIR RAMRAS noted that members' packets contain two proposed amendments. 2:51:26 PM GLENN CLARY, Pastor, Anchorage Baptist Temple, said he is in support of HB 29, but recommended that it include an age limit of 3 days of age rather than 21 days of age. He acknowledged that one of the proposed amendments will add members of the clergy to the list of people that a person can surrender an infant to. He mentioned, however, that although the bill makes use of the term, "department", he can't tell just by reading the bill which department is being referred to, and suggested that that point be clarified. He also recommended that the language in Section 5 that says, "is not required to" be changed to say "may"; this would ensure that efforts by the department to provide family support services are not precluded by the bill. CHAIR RAMRAS referred to [Amendment 2], which read [original punctuation provided]: Page 2, line 13, following "is": Delete "abandoned safely within the meaning of" Insert "surrendered in the manner described in" Page 2, line 17: Following "identity,": Insert "and" Following "history": Delete ", or" Insert "of the infant and" Page 2, line 23: Following "(4)": Insert "immediately" Following "the": Insert "nearest office of the" Page 2, line 23 - 24, following "department": Delete "for initiation of custody, placement, and adoption proceedings as appropriate" Insert "that the infant has been surrendered in the manner described in (c) of this section" REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG, in response to Mr. Clary, explained that the department referred to in the bill is the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). 2:54:18 PM JAN RUTHERDALE, Assistant Attorney General, Child Protection Section, Civil Division (Juneau), Department of Law (DOL), said the changes proposed by Amendment 2 are primarily housekeeping changes. The change proposed to page 2, line 13, provides conforming language; the change proposed to page 2, line 17, would allow the parent to provide the medical history of the child and the parents; the first change proposed to page 2, line 23, would assist the department in getting involved immediately; and the second change proposed to page 2, line 23, would clarify that the department is simply being notified of the surrender of the infant without specifying what steps the department would be taking next. CHAIR RAMRAS, after ascertaining that no one else wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 29. REPRESENTATIVE SAMUELS referred to language on page 2, line 7, which says in part, "a hospital employee", and asked whether that means an infant could be left with a janitor, for example. MS. MARASIGAN indicated that the point of the bill is to ensure that the infant is given to another human being rather than just abandoned someplace potentially dangerous. 2:58:54 PM REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM made a motion to adopt Amendment 1, labeled 25-LS0192\K.2, Mischel, 2/26/07, which read: Page 2, line 7, following "peace officer,": Insert "member of the clergy," CHAIR RAMRAS asked whether there were any objections to Amendment 1. There being none, Amendment 1 was adopted. 2:59:14 PM CHAIR RAMRAS made a motion to adopt Amendment 2 [text provided previously]. There being no objection, Amendment 2 was adopted. 2:59:34 PM REPRESENTATIVE DAHLSTROM moved to report CSHB 29(HES), as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 29(JUD) was reported from the House Judiciary Standing Committee.