Senate committee advances Safe Haven amendment to allow hospital surrender and rural fire-department boxes

Senate Judiciary members voted to advance an amendment to the Arkansas Safe Haven Act that would let volunteer fire departments host safe-haven baby boxes when a staffed emergency services facility is nearby and would allow a woman to invoke the Safe Haven Act at the hospital immediately after delivery.

The amendment was introduced by Senator Missy Irvin (District 24) and presented by Rose Mims of Arkansas Right to Life. Mims said the change responds to a situation in Hensley where a volunteer fire department could not qualify for a safety device under the 2019 law but an adjacent EMS station was staffed around the clock. "She wanted to see if possibly we could come back and amend the law to allow any fire department in Arkansas that would have emergency services nearby that could meet the response time, which is, you know, less than 5 minutes," Mims told the committee.

Cindy Miller, office manager at the Mobile Fire Department, told the committee her department operates a safe-haven box and has received a surrender. "With putting them in volunteer departments that have close medical services, especially in the rural areas, would be the bill would be wonderful," Miller said, arguing the change would expand access beyond cities and towns.

Senator Irvin, who closed for the bill, emphasized public-safety and timeliness, saying that allowing hospital surrender "is just a safer approach" because a mother could invoke the law "at the point of an impact." The chair announced a 'due pass' motion; Senator Gilmore moved and Senator McGee seconded. The committee voted by voice and the chair declared the bill passed.

The amendment builds on the 2019 Safe Haven statute by extending where safe-haven devices may be placed and clarifying that a woman delivering in a hospital may immediately surrender her newborn under the act. The committee did not record a roll-call tally; members approved the measure by voice vote and were told to obtain copies of the bill.

The next procedural step is distribution of the committee-passed bill; further consideration on the Senate floor or additional committee referrals was not recorded in this transcript.