HB1044Enacted
Authorize the use of a newborn safety device for the voluntary surrender of a newborn and to make clarifying changes.
South Dakota will now allow emergency medical services providers and licensed child placement agencies to install "newborn safety devices"—secure, temperature-controlled boxes—where parents can anonymously surrender newborns up to 60 days old. When a newborn is placed in one of these devices, an alarm automatically alerts staff and 911, ensuring the child receives immediate care. This new option supplements the existing law that already allowed voluntary surrender directly to a provider or agency.