(A) As used in this section:
(1) "Contractor" means a person who provides personal services pursuant to a contract.
(2) "Critical access hospital" means a facility designated as a critical access hospital by the director of health under section3701.073of the Revised Code.
(3) "Crib" includes a portable play yard or other suitable sleeping place.
(B) Each hospital and freestanding birthing center shall implement an infant safe sleep screening procedure. The purpose of the procedure is to determine whether there will be a safe crib for an infant to sleep in once the infant is discharged from the facility to the infant's residence following birth. The procedure shall consist of questions that facility staff or volunteers must ask the infant's parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the infant regarding the infant's intended sleeping place and environment.
The director of children and youth shall develop questions that facilities may use when implementing the infant safe sleep screening procedure required by this division. The director may consult with persons and government entities that have expertise in infant safe sleep practices when developing the questions.
(C) If, prior to an infant's discharge from a facility to the infant's residence following birth, a facility other than a critical access hospital or a facility identified under division (D) of this section determines through the procedure implemented under division (B) of this section that the infant is unlikely to have a safe crib at the infant's residence, the facility shall make a good faith effort to arrange for the parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the infant to obtain a safe crib at no charge to that individual. In meeting this requirement, the facility may do any of the following:
(1) Obtain a safe crib with its own resources;
(2) Collaborate with or obtain assistance from persons or government entities that are able to procure a safe crib or provide money to purchase a safe crib;
(3) Refer the parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the infant to a person or government entity described in division (C)(2) of this section to obtain a safe crib free of charge from that source;
(4) If funds are available for the cribs for kids program or a successor program administered by the department of children and youth, refer the parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the infant to a site, designated by the department for purposes of the program, at which a safe crib may be obtained at no charge.
If a safe crib is procured as described in division (C)(1), (2), or (3) of this section, the facility shall ensure that the crib recipient receives safe sleep education and crib assembly instructions from the facility or another source. If a safe crib is procured as described in division (C)(4) of this section, the department of children and youth shall ensure that the cribs for kids program or a successor program administered by the department provides safe sleep education and crib assembly instructions to the recipient.
(D) The director of children and youth shall identify the facilities in this state that are not critical access hospitals and are not served by a site described in division (C)(4) of this section. The director shall identify not less than annually the facilities that meet both criteria and notify those that do so.
(E) When a facility that is a hospital registers with the department of health under section3701.07of the Revised Code or a facility that is a freestanding birthing center renews its license in accordance with rules adopted under section3702.30of the Revised Code, the facility shall report the following information to the department of children and youth in a manner the department prescribes:
(1) The number of safe cribs that the facility obtained and distributed by using its own resources as described in division (C)(1) of this section since the last time the facility reported this information to the department;
(2) The number of safe cribs that the facility obtained and distributed by collaborating with or obtaining assistance from another person or government entity as described in division (C)(2) of this section since the last time the facility reported this information to the department;
(3) The number of referrals that the facility made to a person or government entity as described in division (C)(3) of this section since the last time the facility reported this information to the department;
(4) The number of referrals that the facility made to a site designated by the department as described in division (C)(4) of this section since the last time the facility reported this information to the department;
(5) Demographic information specified by the director of children and youth regarding the individuals to whom safe cribs were distributed as described in division (E)(1) or (2) of this section or for whom a referral described in division (E)(3) or (4) of this section was made;
(6) In the case of a critical access hospital or a facility identified under division (D) of this section, demographic information specified by the director of children and youth regarding each parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the infant determined to be unlikely to have a safe crib at the infant's residence pursuant to the procedure implemented under division (B) of this section;
(7) Any other information collected by the facility regarding infant sleep environments and intended infant sleep environments that the director determines to be appropriate.
(F) The director of children and youth shall prepare a written report that summarizes the information collected under division (E) of this section for the preceding twelve months, assesses whether at-risk families are sufficiently being served by the crib distribution and referral system established by this section, makes suggestions for system improvements, and provides any other information the director considers appropriate for inclusion in the report. On completion, the report shall be submitted to the general assembly with, and in the same manner as, the report that the department of medicaid submits to the general assembly pursuant to section5162.13of the Revised Code. A copy of the report also shall be submitted to the governor.
(G) A facility, and any employee, contractor, or volunteer of a facility, that implements an infant safe sleep procedure in accordance with division (B) of this section is not liable for damages in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property that allegedly arises from an act or omission associated with implementation of the procedure, unless the act or omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.
A facility, and any employee, contractor, or volunteer of a facility, that implements an infant safe sleep screening procedure in accordance with division (B) of this section is not subject to criminal prosecution or, to the extent that a person is regulated under Title XLVII of the Revised Code, professional disciplinary action under that title, for an act or omission associated with implementation of the procedure.
This division does not eliminate, limit, or reduce any other immunity or defense that a facility, or an employee, contractor, or volunteer of a facility, may be entitled to under Chapter 2744. of the Revised Code, or any other provision of the Revised Code, or the common law of this state.
(H) A facility, and any employee, contractor, or volunteer of a facility, is neither liable for damages in a civil action, nor subject to criminal prosecution, for injury, death, or loss to person or property that allegedly arises from a crib obtained by a parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the infant as a result of any action the facility, employee, contractor, or volunteer takes to comply with division (C) of this section.
The immunity provided by this division does not require compliance with division (D) of section2305.37of the Revised Code.
Last updated September 8, 2025 at 5:55 PM