The Senate approved Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for House Bill 791, which permits hospitals, emergency medical services and fire stations to house infant-surrender devices designed to allow parents to anonymously and safely surrender newborns.

Senator McLean explained the bill as offering an alternative to abandonment and said the devices are monitored 24 hours a day and tested twice weekly. Opponents raised concerns about low usage rates, liability and the tension between anonymous surrender and recorded surveillance footage at many facilities.

Senator Berman, who opposed the bill on principle, said the baby boxes ‘‘have been used one time in two years’’ and questioned expanding statutory authorization for devices produced largely by a single manufacturer. Senator Davidson also announced she would vote no and said the promise of anonymity is at odds with widespread surveillance at hospitals and fire stations. By contrast, Senator Hooper, speaking in favor, said many fire stations carry ‘‘Safe Place’’ signage but that front entrances are often unused by staff and argued the alarmed baby-box system provides a more reliable mechanism for discovering a surrendered infant.

Senator McLean closed noting local experience with installed devices and emphasizing that the bill does not mandate adoption; instead it authorizes local governments to adopt the device and protocols if they choose. The Senate recorded a final vote of 33 yeas and 4 nays and the bill passed.

Why it matters: The statute expands the legal framework for infant-surrender alternatives and clarifies locations and monitoring requirements, while floor debate highlighted concerns about usage rates and potential liability for participating institutions.

Next steps: The measure passed on final passage in the Senate; the transcript does not specify subsequent House or executive action.