Lawmakers voted Wednesday to kill a bill that would have facilitated the installation of “safe haven baby boxes,” referred to in the legislation as “newborn safety devices,” in hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and fire departments throughout Maine.
To date, inaction on the part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has prevented these facilities from getting safe haven baby boxes installed on their premises.
A safe haven baby box “legally permits a mother in crisis to safely, securely, and anonymously surrender if they are unable to care for their newborn.”
Last year, the Legislature approved a bill, LD 560, legalizing safe haven baby boxes in Maine, which subsequently passed into law without Gov. Janet Mills’ (D) signature.
Included in the bill was a provision directing DHHS to “adopt rules to ensure the safe design, installation and use of each safe haven baby box before it may be put into service by a hospital, law enforcement agency or fire department.”
According to testimony offered this session in support of LD 530, both from Sen. Lisa Keim (R-Oxford) and Rep. Bruce White (D-Waterville), DHHS has made no progress on this required rule-making.
Consequently, efforts throughout the state to provide safe haven baby boxes have been delayed for nearly a year.
DHHS’s inaction motivated the introduction of LD 530 earlier this session. If passed, the bill would have repealed the clause requiring DHHS to take action before safe haven baby boxes could be installed.
The bill would have implemented safety measures to ensure the health and well-being of the infants who are placed inside.
It would have required that safe haven baby boxes be located “in an area that is conspicuous and visible” to employees, that the facilities responsible for these devices be “staffed 24 hours a day by a medical services provider,” and that the alarm attached to the device be checked at least once a week, and “visually inspect[ed]” at least twice a day, to ensure that it is “properly functioning.”
Yesterday, the House narrowly defeated the bill in a roll call vote of 73-72. Today, the Senate struck down the measure by a wider margin of 22-12.
On the floor of the House, Rep. Jennifer L. Poirier (R-Skowhegan) spoke in support of the bill.
“Ten states currently utilize newborn safety devices. Their statutes are a good example of rules that work. LD 530 does the Department’s job for them and establishes rules and regulations that work,” Rep. Poirier said.
“There are many communities that are waiting for these rules to be implemented so that they can install devices in their communities. Right now their hands are tied until rules are on the books. It’s past time,” she stated. “The Department has had plenty of time to implement rules. It’s our duty to get this in place now.”
Rep. Matt Moonen (D-Portland) spoke in opposition to the bill, citing concerns that removing the rule-making provision would jeopardize the safety of infants placed in safe haven baby boxes, particularly given Maine’s frigid winter temperatures.
Poirier responded to Rep. Moonen by stating that infants who are placed in these boxes only remain there for an average of 90 seconds before being removed.
“This is a lifesaving measure,” she said.
5 Comments
MAINE DEMOCRATS — pushing for full-term abortion being made legal – and paid for with MaineCare — while also defeating SAFE HAVEN options to make sure that no INFANT is abandoned to suffer and die in our state. WHY do Democrats seem to “despise” infants and children so much — while pretending so hard that “they care”? FOR SHAME!!!
But MAINE DEMOCRATS want coyotes to be buried respectfully and are providing safe places and clean needles for illicit drug users. What a twisted mindset…passing the stupidest laws because they can – like a bunch of rebellious teenagers…no forethought whatsoever. I don’t know how they live with themselves. They must not have any conscience. Wasn’t it Forrest Gump who said, “Stupid is as stupid does.”? And Bill Engvall who used the term, “Here’s your sign.” Here’s our sign MAINERS – vote them all out!!!
Democrats are being hypocritical by their actions.
Spot on NRS and CHERYL.
Unfortunately too many people get their “news” from fakebook, pph, & bdn, and they will never know of anything that your talking about. But as long as my little brat can paly sports, and Czarina Janet is giving me $ everything is A-OKAY
The statement attributed to Rep. Moonen shows a complete lack of understanding on how these boxes work. What other issues is he completely ignorant of?