In order to protect newborn infants from being abandoned in Alaska’s cold weather, lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow parents to anonymously surrender a baby in a protective “baby box.”

Public testimony on the bill is scheduled for Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. in the House Judiciary Committee, with another hearing set for Feb. 20.

Current Alaska law requires parents to surrender a newborn (21 days old or younger) to another individual – in-person, which can be a barrier for those who cannot bring themselves to relinquish their baby in this manner.

House Bill 64, along with it’s companion (Senate Bill 9), would expand Alaska’s 2008 safe surrender law so that parents could place their newborn in a clearly marked climate-controlled container located at a hospital, emergency department, birthing center, doctor offices, clinics, police or fire station or other approved areas.

As recently as November 2024, a newborn infant was found abandoned just one block away from Anchorage Fire Station 1 downtown.

The proposals have gained bi-partisan support, with both Republican and Democrats signing on as sponsors. It is also supported by pro-life groups.

Anchorage Fire Chief Douglas Schrage is another strong proponent of the idea. In a Jan. 31 letter to lawmakers, he said experience shows that some parents are simply unable to bring themselves to hand over their child to a physical person.

“There have been recent incidents where parents of newborns abandoned their infants even though the Safe Haven Law would have allowed surrender to a firefighter or police officer without fear of prosecution,” he observed. “As recently as November 2024, a newborn infant was found abandoned just one block away from Anchorage Fire Station 1 downtown.”

Schrage added that in 2022, another baby was left in a bassinet at a well-travelled intersection in Fairbanks.

“Fire departments around the country are equipping their fire stations with safe-surrender baby boxes which are secure, monitored, and environmentally protected vaults in which a parent can safely surrender their newborn infant,” he added. “These boxes are an alternative for those that might not be up to directly giving up their child to a live person.”

Current Alaska law does not provide immunity from prosecution for abandonment in the case of a safe surrender box being used.

More than 20 other states, however, authorize baby boxes, which are equipped with an automatic lock and under constant video surveillance, while immediately alerting appropriate personnel of the surrender.

Proponents of this approach note that the ability to relinquish an infant to a safe location rather than an individual allows additional anonymity for the relinquishing parent, many of whom experience shame or fear during such a crisis. The overarching goal is to reduce potential infant death due to illegal abandonment.

TAKING ACTION

— Public testimony on HB 64 is scheduled for Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. in the House Judiciary Committee. Click here for information on how to testify.

— Another hearing is scheduled for Feb. 20.

— Click here to call or email members of the House Judiciary Committee.

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