A law that is expected to take effect in July will provide more time for a person to give an unharmed baby to any safe haven location in Arizona.
Gov. Doug Ducey on April 9 signed HB2410 into law, changing the time period from three days to 30 days for a person to not face criminal charges for giving up a newborn.
Heather Burner, executive director of the National Safe Haven Alliance and director of the Arizona Safe Baby Haven Foundation, advocated for this change for several years.
She believes the extra time will save the lives of infants that might otherwise have been abandoned.
“This was a really important initiative for us because the importance for the parents to have this time to emotionally respond to the birth of their child and make an educated and supported decision,” Burner told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday.