Tony Evers signs 'baby box' law for anonymous surrender of newborns

MADISON – Parents in distress will now be able to surrender newborns completely anonymously under a law signed by Gov. Tony Evers expanding the state's "safe haven" program.

The law allows municipalities to install newborn infant safety devices, or "baby boxes," at hospitals, fire stations and law enforcement agency buildings. The boxes allow parents to relinquish newborns less than 72 hours old with no face-to-face interaction.

“I am glad Wisconsin will now be able to provide parents in distress an option to complete anonymity when making the difficult choice to surrender their newborn,” said bill author Rep. Ellen Schutt, R-Clinton, in a statement.

The measure expands on the state's 2001 law that allows a parent to surrender their unharmed newborn child with a police officer, emergency medical technician or hospital employee with no legal consequences. This can be done anonymously unless the baby has been harmed, it is more than 3 days old or the parent is being forced to give up the baby.

The law "carried a stigma, especially in small communities, because parents were afraid others will find out they gave up their children," Schutt said.

"Sadly, this came to a head earlier this year after a newborn was found dead in a field in Whitewater," Schutt said. "Members of the community came to me expressing an interest in making sure this did not happen again, and I am glad we were able to find a solution and get this law enacted."

A Whitewater woman was charged in March with neglecting a child resulting in death and moving, hiding or burying a child.

Under the new law, a newborn infant safety device may be installed if the building is staffed 24 hours a day, the device is temperature-controlled and ventilated, it can be monitored at all times and it triggers an alarm when a newborn is placed within it.

The law requires employees of the building housing the box to use a surveillance system to monitor it 24 hours a day, physically check it at least twice a day and test the device's alarm at least once a week.

"Expanding safeguards for kids across Wisconsin is a priority for my administration, and this bill provides a solution that will hopefully keep newborns and infants safe from harm," Evers said in a statement Wednesday. "I will continue to advocate for initiatives that work to make our communities and families safer, and I look forward to seeing more bipartisan bills like this in the future."

Wisconsin joins at least a dozen other states with "baby box" laws.

Jessie Opoien can be reached at jessie.opoien@jrn.com.