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GeorgiaHB 3502025-2026 Regular SessionHouse

Domestic relations; safe places for newborns; revise provisions

Sponsored By: Mike Cameron (Republican), Beth Camp (Republican), Clint Crowe (Republican), Matthew Gambill (Republican), Karen Mathiak (Republican), Dale Washburn (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Public Safety and Homeland SecurityHealth and Human ServicesGeneral Bill

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

More safe surrender options for mothers

Georgia's Eliza Jane Warner Act protects mothers from prosecution under specified child-abandonment and related laws when surrendering newborns. The child must be 45 days old or younger. Mothers must hand the child to on-duty workers at covered locations or use a newborn safety device meeting state standards. Covered locations include medical facilities, fire stations, police stations, public safety vehicles, and ambulance services. Medical facilities include licensed hospitals, covered birthing facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, and urgent care centers. Helpers receive the same protection for acts protected when done by the mother. Giving a name, address, or proof of identity is optional. The law also removes the prior requirement for signs identifying surrender locations.

Prompt care and custody for surrendered newborns

Receiving facilities and services must immediately arrange transport to the nearest medical facility for newborns surrendered under the law. They must notify Georgia's Department of Human Services when the child arrives and again when medically ready for discharge. The department must take physical custody within six hours after the child is medically ready and present the child to juvenile court. It must repay receiving facilities or stations for all reasonable medical and related costs before state custody. It must also investigate and report to lawmakers, including whether a dedicated toll-free information line is useful and cost-effective.

Provider protections limit families' legal claims

The law protects covered newborn surrender providers and their workers from civil damages and criminal prosecution for covered duty failures. These protections include medical facilities, fire stations, police stations, and now ambulance services, along with their employees, agents, and staff. This limits families' legal claims for those failures. Negligent medical treatment of a child remains subject to legal claims.

Newborn safety devices face funding limits

Covered medical facilities, fire stations, police stations, and ambulance services can choose to install enclosed, locked newborn safety devices. Devices must be in a visible area, and the location must have emergency medical staffing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each device needs a video-recording camera and two alarms: one tested at least monthly, the interior alarm checked at least twice daily. The system must dispatch the nearest ambulance when all staff are away or responding to an emergency. State funds cannot buy or operate these devices; non-state funding is not banned, and families have no payment duty.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

  • Mike Cameron

    Republican • House

  • Beth Camp

    Republican • House

  • Clint Crowe

    Republican • House

  • Matthew Gambill

    Republican • House

  • Karen Mathiak

    Republican • House

  • Dale Washburn

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

  • Brian Strickland

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 420 • No: 15

House vote • 4/3/2026

Agree to Senate Substitute

Yes: 164 • No: 4 • Other: 11

Senate vote • 4/2/2026

PASSAGE BY SUBSTITUTE

Yes: 49 • No: 1 • Other: 5

Senate vote • 3/31/2026

MOTION TO TABLE REMAINING LEGISLATION ON THE RULES CALENDAR

Yes: 39 • No: 10 • Other: 4

House vote • 2/3/2026

PASSAGE

Yes: 168 • No: 0 • Other: 4

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective Date

    7/1/2026

  2. House Date Signed by Governor

    5/12/2026House

  3. Act 639

    5/12/2026

  4. House Sent to Governor

    4/10/2026House

  5. Senate Taken from Table

    4/2/2026Senate

  6. Senate Third Read

    4/2/2026Senate

  7. Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute

    4/2/2026Senate

  8. House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub

    4/2/2026House

  9. Senate Tabled

    3/31/2026Senate

  10. Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute

    3/27/2026Senate

  11. Senate Read Second Time

    3/27/2026Senate

  12. Senate Read and Referred

    2/4/2026Senate

  13. House Third Readers

    2/3/2026House

  14. House Passed/Adopted

    2/3/2026House

  15. House Committee Favorably Reported

    1/29/2026House

  16. House Withdrawn, Recommitted

    4/4/2025House

  17. House Committee Favorably Reported

    2/20/2025House

  18. House Second Readers

    2/12/2025House

  19. House First Readers

    2/11/2025House

  20. House Hopper

    2/10/2025House

Bill Text

  • HB 350/AP* (v5)

    PDF

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