Monday, October 20th 2008
Nebraska to limit safe haven law to infants
The Wall Street Journal blog reported today that Nebraska will change its safe haven law so that it applies only to infants. Safe haven laws are enacted in all 50 states, and allow parents to leave their children at a licensed hospital without explaining why and without a threat of prosecution.
Most states’ safe haven laws allow parents to leave their children only up to one year of age, but Nebraska’s law, which went into effect in July, 2008, covered kids all the way up to 18. At least 18 children, aged 22 months to 17 years, have been abandoned since the law took effect in July. Nebraska’s governor and legislature are working to amend the law to limit it to only young children up to 3 days old.
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