Contact: Jeff Barbosa
(916) 319-2020

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico’s (D-Newark) bill to extend the time newborns can be safely surrendered from 72 hours to seven days easily passed the state Assembly tonight on a 69-7 bi-partisan vote.

“I am convinced passing this law will save the lives of more newborns in California,” Torrico said. 

About 200 babies have been safely surrendered across California since the implementation of the safe surrender law in 2001.   However, the number of abandoned babies remains high.  While the anonymity, confidentiality and freedom from prosecution encourages parents to leave their child at safe surrender sites, factors such as language barriers, post partum depression and other mental health issues may prevent a woman from deciding within 72 hours to surrender her baby.

All 50 states now have safe surrender laws for the relinquishment of unwanted newborns.  Currently, 24 have provisions that are seven days or longer. 

Last year at Torrico’s request, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee voted to have the state auditor review the safe surrender program.  The audit was concluded this spring and found a number of concerns regarding the state’s implementation of the safe-surrender law.  Torrico will amend his bill in the Senate to address the audit’s findings.

“The auditor’s report reinforces my belief that more needs to be done at the state level to improve outreach, reporting and monitoring of the safe surrender law,” Torrico said.  “There is much room for improvement.”

The bill is supported by the California Professional Firefighters, California Medical Association, California State Firefighters Association, California Psychiatric Association, the California Catholic Conference, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District IX, League of California Cities and other organizations.