I

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2018

To authorize States to use funds provided under the program of block grants

to States for temporary assistance for needy families to support infant

safe haven programs.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 25, 2001

Ms. HART (for herself, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania,

Mr. BACHUS, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey,

Mr. PITTS, Mr. STEARNS, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mrs. MYRICK, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. SOUDER, Ms. PRYCE of

Ohio, Mr. WELDON of Florida, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. LEE,

Mr. GREENWOOD, and Mr. RYUN of Kansas) introduced the following

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in

addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee

concerned

A BILL

To authorize States to use funds provided under the program

of block grants to States for temporary assistance for

needy families to support infant safe haven programs.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safe Havens Support

5 Act of 2001’’.
2

•HR 2018 IH

1 SEC. 2. TANF FUNDS AUTHORIZED TO BE USED FOR IN2 FANT SAFE HAVEN PROGRAMS.

3 Section 404(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.

4 604(a)) is amended—

5 (1) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of paragraph

6 (1);

7 (2) by striking the period at the end of para8 graph (2) and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and

9 (3) by adding at the end the following:

10 ‘‘(3) to support an infant safe haven program.’’.

11 (b) INFANT SAFE HAVEN PROGRAM DEFINED.—Sec12 tion 419 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 619) is amended by add13 ing at the end the following:

14 ‘‘(6) INFANT SAFE HAVEN PROGRAM.—

15 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘infant safe

16 haven program’ means any program or activity

17 which—

18 ‘‘(i) provides a way for a parent to

19 safely relinquish a newborn infant at a safe

20 haven designated pursuant to a State law,

21 or an agreement approved by a local pros22 ecutor, which—

23 ‘‘(I) prescribes, or under which

24 are prescribed, procedures for lawfully

25 relinquishing such an infant; and
3

•HR 2018 IH

1 ‘‘(II) provides that a parent who

2 lawfully relinquishes such an infant

3 shall be immune from prosecution for

4 child abandonment based on such con5 duct, or shall be entitled to raise such

6 conduct as an affirmative defense in

7 such a prosecution;

8 ‘‘(ii) provides a designated toll-free in9 formation line for the purpose of directing

10 individuals to locations that are authorized

11 to accept newborn infants relinquished

12 pursuant to such a law or agreement and

13 to provide information about infant relin14 quishment laws or agreements;

15 ‘‘(iii) provides for the education and

16 training of individuals who are authorized

17 to accept newborn infants relinquished

18 pursuant to such a law or agreement, to

19 familiarize the individuals with the proce20 dures prescribed by or under the law or

21 agreement for accepting, and caring for a

22 parent who is relinquishing, such an in23 fant; or

24 ‘‘(iv) recruits and trains health and

25 social services personnel to work with relin-
4

•HR 2018 IH

1 quished or abandoned infants, their fami2 lies, and prospective adoptive families.

3 ‘‘(B) SUPPORT.—The term ‘support’

4 means, with respect to an infant safe haven

5 program, to develop, carry out, or inform any

6 segment of the public about such a program.

7 ‘‘(C) RELATED TERMS.—In subparagraph

8 (A):

9 ‘‘(i) NEWBORN INFANT.—The term

10 ‘newborn infant’ means a child who is not

11 more than 30 days old.

12 ‘‘(ii) RELINQUISH.—The term ‘relin13 quish’ means to surrender physical cus14 tody.’’.

15 SEC. 3. STUDY OF INFANTS WHO ARE ABANDONED, RELIN16 QUISHED, OR DECEASED.

17 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Health and Human

18 Services shall conduct a study to determine—

19 (1) an estimate of the annual number of infants

20 who are relinquished, abandoned, or found dead in

21 the United States within 1 year after their birth;

22 (2) an estimate of the annual number of such

23 infants who are victims of homicide; and
5

•HR 2018 IH

1 (3) characteristics and demographics of parents

2 who have abandoned an infant in the United States

3 within 1 year after its birth.

4 (b) REPORT TO THE CONGRESS.—Not later than 18

5 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, and

6 annually during the next 2 years, the Secretary of Health

7 and Human Services shall submit to the Congress a writ8 ten report that describes the findings of the study required

9 by subsection (a), and contains such recommendations as

10 the Secretary deems appropriate.

Æ