Source: https://development.code.dccouncil.us/dc/council/code/titles/4/chapters/14A/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 12:45:16+00:00

Document:
D.C. Law Library - Chapter 14A. Newborn Safe Haven.
Chapter 15. Criminal Background Checks for Government Services to Children.
(1) “Authorized Receiving Facility” means a hospital, or other place authorized by the Mayor, by rule, to accept a newborn for surrender pursuant to this chapter.
(2) “CFSA” means the Child and Family Services Agency.
(3) “Newborn” means an infant whose parent refuses or is unable to assume the responsibility for the infant’s care, control, and subsistence and who is surrendered by that parent and who a licensed physician or other person authorized to accept the surrender reasonably believes is 14 days old or less.
(4) “Surrender” means to bring a newborn to an Authorized Receiving Facility during its hours of operation and to leave the newborn with personnel of the Authorized Receiving Facility.
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 2 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-49, April 27, 2009, 56 DCR 3581).
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 101 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-321, March 1, 2010, 57 DCR 1842).
“(1) ‘Authorized Receiving Facility’ means a hospital, or other place authorized by the Mayor, by rule, to accept a newborn for surrender pursuant to this act.
“(2) ‘CFSA’ means the Child and Family Services Agency.
“(3) ‘Newborn’ means an infant that a licensed physician or other person authorized to accept the surrender reasonably believes is 7 days old or less.
(a) Except when there is actual or suspected child abuse or neglect, a custodial parent who is a resident of the District of Columbia may surrenders a newborn in accordance with this chapter and shall have the right to remain anonymous and to leave the place of surrender at any time and shall not be pursued by any person at the time of surrender or prosecuted for the surrender of the newborn.
(b) To surrender a newborn in accordance with this chapter, and rules promulgated pursuant to this chapter, shall not, by itself, constitute a basis for a finding of abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
(c) The Authorized Receiving Facility personnel receiving the surrendered newborn shall make a reasonable effort to obtain family and medical history from the surrendering parent, including personal information such as both of the parents’ identities, and shall provide to the surrendering parent information on adoption and counseling services.
(4) Personal information obtained, if any.
This section is referenced in § 4-1451.05.
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 3 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-49, April 27, 2009, 56 DCR 3581).
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 102 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-321, March 1, 2010, 57 DCR 1842).
“(a) Except when there is actual or suspected child abuse or neglect, a parent who surrenders a newborn shall have the right to remain anonymous and to leave the place of surrendering at any time and shall not be pursued by any person at the time of surrender or prosecuted for surrendering the newborn.
“(b) Surrendering a newborn in accordance with this act, and rules promulgated pursuant to this act, shall not, by itself, constitute a basis for a finding of abuse, neglect, or abandonment of a newborn.
“(c) The Authorized Receiving Facility personnel receiving the surrendered newborn shall make a reasonable effort to obtain family and medical history from the surrendering parent, on an anonymous basis, without seeking personal information, such as the identity or address, and to provide to the surrendering parent information on adoption and counseling services.
The Mayor shall develop and post uniform signage with a toll-free number to call for further information in a conspicuous place on the exterior of each Authorized Receiving Facility that states in plain terms that a newborn may be surrendered at the facility in accordance with this chapter.
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 4 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-49, April 27, 2009, 56 DCR 3581).
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 103 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-321, March 1, 2010, 57 DCR 1842).
(a) After the surrender of a newborn, an Authorized Receiving Facility that is not a hospital shall transport the newborn to the nearest hospital as soon as transportation can be arranged.
(b)(1) The act of surrender shall constitute implied consent for the hospital to which the newborn is surrendered or transported and the hospital’s medical personnel to treat and provide care for the newborn and arrange for further placement with CFSA and, through CFSA, with a preadoptive home whenever possible.
(2) Hospital personnel shall immediately contact CFSA to report the surrender of the newborn and arrange for transport of the newborn to CFSA. The CFSA shall assume physical custody of the newborn within 23 hours of the surrender.
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 5 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-49, April 27, 2009, 56 DCR 3581).
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 104 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-321, March 1, 2010, 57 DCR 1842).
“(a) After the surrendering of a newborn, an Authorized Receiving Facility that is not a hospital shall transport the newborn to the nearest hospital as soon as transportation can be arranged.
“(b)(1) The act of surrendering shall constitute implied consent for the hospital to which the newborn is surrendered, or to which the newborn is transported, and the hospital’s medical personnel and physicians, to treat and provide care for the newborn and arrange for further placement with CFSA.
(a) An Authorized Receiving Facility and the personnel of an Authorized Receiving Facility shall be immune from civil or criminal liability for the good-faith performance of the reporting and placement responsibilities under this chapter, including liability for the failure to file a report that might otherwise be incurred or imposed on a person required to report suspected incidents of child abuse or neglect under § 4-1321.02.
(b) In any civil or criminal proceeding brought under this chapter concerning the surrender of a newborn, good faith shall be presumed unless rebutted.
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 7 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-49, April 27, 2009, 56 DCR 3581).
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 106 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-321, March 1, 2010, 57 DCR 1842).
“Sec. 7. Immunity from liability.
“(a) An Authorized Receiving Facility and the personnel of an Authorized Receiving Facility shall be immune from civil or criminal liability for the good faith performance of responsibilities under this act, including liability for the failure to file a report that might otherwise be incurred or imposed on a person required to report suspected incidents of child abuse or neglect under section 2 of An Act To provide for the mandatory reporting by physicians and institutions in the District of Columbia of certain physical abuse of children, approved November 5, 1966 (80 Stat. 1354; D.C. Official Code § 4-1321.02).
“(b) In any civil or criminal proceeding brought under this act concerning a surrendered newborn, good faith shall be presumed unless rebutted.
(4) Number and disposition of cases of surrendered newborns.
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 5024 of Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2017 (D.C. Act 22-167, Oct. 24, 2017, 64 DCR 10802).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 5024 of Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2017 (D.C. Act 22-104, July 20, 2017, 64 DCR 7032).
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 107 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-321, March 1, 2010, 57 DCR 1842).
The Mayor, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2 [§ 2-501 et seq.], shall issue rules to implement the provisions of this chapter. The proposed rules shall be submitted to the Council for a 45-day period of review, excluding days of Council recess. If the Council does not approve or disapprove the proposed rules, by resolution, within the 45-day review period, the proposed rules shall be deemed approved.
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 8 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-49, April 27, 2009, 56 DCR 3581).
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 108 of Newborn Safe Haven Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-321, March 1, 2010, 57 DCR 1842).

References: § 2
 § 101
 § 4
 § 3
 § 102
 § 4
 § 103
 § 5
 § 104
 § 4
 § 7
 § 106
 § 4
 § 5024
 § 5024
 § 107
 § 8
 § 108