AB2073 , a bill that legalizes the use of Safe Haven Baby Boxes aka newborn safety devices, was introduced recently in the California Assembly. As of this writing Assb Natasha Johnson (R-Riverside) is the only sponsor. On March 9, it was referred to the Assembly Public Safety Committee and the Assembly Judiciary Committee. It is scheduled for a hearing in the Public Safety Committee on March 24.
California AB2073: Bastard Nation/SHBBN Joint Testimony–Assembly Public Safety and Judiciary Committees. Opposed
The number of reported discard cases throughout the US has remained steady—a little over 30 a year– since the Safe Haven Baby Box concept was introduced 10 years ago. According to the CDHSS Office of Child Abuse Prevention, discards in California plummeted from 20 in 2001 (7 surviving and 13 deceased) to 3 in 2024. (1 surviving and 2 deceased, making the discard rate in the state, one of the lowest in the country.