GOOD NEWS IN FLORIDA. No baby boxes this session!
From the official online record posted at the end of the Florida Legislative Session:
CS/SB 864 (2020) Surrendered Newborn Infants
http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/00864
SENATE – Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
HB 1217 (2020) Surrendered Newborn Infants
http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/01217
SENATE – Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
Earlier this session,Lauren Book, chair of the Senate Health Policy Committee, opposed SB864, the Senate version of the baby box bill and held it up in her committee where it died after failing to meet hearing deadlines. After the House version, HB1217 passed it bounced into The Book Committee where once again the senator refused to let it be heard.
I called Senator Book’s office a couple of times and sent her a letter with opposition talking points. I know some of you also wrote or called her office asking that the bill be held. Thank you!
There are several dangerous Baby Box bills pending in other states, especially one in Tennessee where it has been filed to sneak-amend a bill that has nothing to do with child welfare, I will post about them shortly. For now, you can read the whole list here. Just scroll down to Baby Boxes.