AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36, Chapter 1, Part 1 and Title 68, Chapter 11, Part 2, relative to voluntary surrendering of an infant.

More safeguards for surrendered Tennessee newborns

Tennessee now allows participating ambulance stations to host newborn safety devices. Devices must be approved by and inside participating hospitals, fire stations, ambulance stations, police stations, emergency communications centers, or nursing homes. Facilities must operate legally in Tennessee, with staff scheduled 24 hours a day, every day, by a licensed emergency medical services provider. Devices must be easy for staff to see and continuously monitored by a facility employee or medical professional there. Workers or medical professionals who accept a newborn must arrange immediate transport to the nearest hospital emergency room. They have implied consent for appropriate medical treatment; those retrieving a baby from a device must also call emergency services immediately. The hospital must immediately notify Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services, which must immediately take care, custody, and control of the baby. The law took effect upon becoming law.