§ 20 — Procedures with respect to relinquished newborn infants

(a) Hospitals. Every hospital must accept and provide all necessary emergency services and care to a relinquished newborn infant, in accordance with this Act. The hospital shall examine a relinquished newborn infant and perform tests that, based on reasonable medical judgment, are appropriate in evaluating whether the relinquished newborn infant was abused or neglected. The act of relinquishing a newborn infant serves as implied consent for the hospital and its medical personnel and physicians on staff to treat and provide care for the infant. The hospital shall be deemed to have temporary protective custody of a relinquished newborn infant until the infant is discharged to the custody of a child welfare agency or the Department. The hospital shall provide all available medical records and information to the Department and the child welfare agency that has accepted the referral of the infant in accordance with Section 50. If the person who relinquished or a person claiming to be the parent of a newborn infant returns to reclaim the infant within 30 days after the infant was relinquished to a hospital, the hospital must inform such person of the name and contact information of the child welfare agency to whom custody of the infant was transferred. (b) Fire stations and emergency medical facilities. Every fire station and emergency medical facility must accept and provide all necessary emergency services and care to a relinquished newborn infant, in accordance with this Act. The act of relinquishing a newborn infant serves as implied consent for the fire station or emergency medical facility and its emergency medical professionals to treat and provide care for the infant, to the extent that those emergency medical professionals are trained to provide those services. After the relinquishment of a newborn infant to a fire station or emergency medical facility, the fire station or emergency medical facility's personnel must arrange for the transportation of the infant to the nearest hospital as soon as transportation can be arranged. If the person who relinquished or a person claiming to be the parent of a newborn infant returns to reclaim the infant within 30 days after the infant was relinquished to a fire station or emergency medical facility, the fire station or emergency medical facility must inform such person of the name and location of the hospital to which the infant was transported. (c) Police stations. Every police station must accept a relinquished newborn infant, in accordance with this Act. After the relinquishment of a newborn infant to a police station, the police station must arrange for the transportation of the infant to the nearest hospital as soon as transportation can be arranged. The act of relinquishing a newborn infant serves as implied consent for the hospital to which the infant is transported and that hospital's medical personnel and physicians on staff to treat and provide care for the infant. If the person who relinquished or a person claiming to be the parent of a newborn infant returns to reclaim the infant within 30 days after the infant was relinquished to a police station, the police station must inform such person of the name and location of the hospital to which the infant was transported.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-501, eff. 1-1-24; 103-958, eff. 1-1-25 .)