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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
safe haven providers; hospital deliveries
Purpose
Allows a parent or parent's agent to surrender a newborn infant at the hospital of birth without requiring the parent to be discharged from or leave the hospital after the birth and subsequently return to complete the surrender.
Background
Statute authorizes designated safe haven providers to receive a newborn infant who is voluntarily surrendered by a parent, without requiring identifying information, and establishes procedures for ensuring the infant’s immediate medical care and placement. A safe haven provider includes: 1) a firefighter who is on duty; 2) an emergency medical technician who is on duty; 3) a health care institution that is classified by the Department of Health Services (DHS) as a general or rural general hospital; and 4) a staff member or volunteer at a licensed private child welfare or adoption agency that posts a public notice that the agency is willing to accept a newborn infant (A.R.S. § 13-3623.01).
Safe haven providers must: 1) immediately transport the newborn infant or arrange for the newborn infant to be transported to a hospital for physical examination; 2) notify the Department of Child Safety that a newborn infant has been left with the safe haven provider, the location of the hospital where the infant was transported and the agency that will take custody of the infant after the hospital completes the physical examination; and 3) take custody of the infant within 24 hours of completion of the hospital's physical examination, unless the safe haven provider does not have the ability or desire to take custody of the infant (A.R.S. § 8-528).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows a parent or parent's agent to surrender a newborn infant to a general hospital or rural general hospital immediately after the infant's birth at the hospital.
2. Requires a general hospital or rural general hospital to take custody of a newborn infant if the infant is born at the hospital and the parent notifies a staff member that the parent intends to voluntarily surrender the newborn infant and not return.
3. Specifies that a parent who has surrendered a newborn infant at a hospital as outlined is not required to be discharged from or leave the hospital after the infant is born and subsequently return to the hospital before leaving the infant with the safe haven provider.
4. Modifies DHS reporting requirements regarding safe haven providers to include the number of newborn infants surrendered at safe haven providers.
5. Makes conforming changes.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 2, 2026
MM/SDR/hk