Michigan Senate approves 'baby box' plan for surrendered newborns

Lansing — Michigan hospitals and police and fire departments would be allowed to install “baby boxes,” where a parent could safely surrender a newborn under legislation approved late Tuesday by the state Senate.

The “newborn safety device” would lock from the outside after an infant is placed inside, trigger a call to 911 within 30 seconds and include visible instructions about its use.

The Senate approved the main bill in a 30-8 vote after adopting an amendment to hold a manufacturer liable for any injury to a baby, including death, that results from use of the device. The measure now heads back to the House, which previously approved an earlier version.

The legislation expands on a 2000 law that allows parents to anonymously surrender a newborn to an emergency services provider within 72 hours of a child’s birth without being accused of abandonment. The child later is put up for adoption.

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