CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The Senate passed SB8 on Monday, a bill that would expand safe surrender sites for newborns in West Virginia.
Under current law passed in 2023, fire departments are designated as safe-surrender sites that can accept physical custody of a child who is 30 days old or younger from a parent or individual who has lawful custody of the child. That law dictates that officials at the fire department currently call Child Protective Services to take over from there.
This law applies only to fire departments that are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Today’s bill expands the allowable sites to include EMS facilities, police departments, or sheriff’s detachments that have been designated as safe surrender sites.
The legislation now heads to the House of Delegates for consideration.
The body introduced bills 571-588 today.
