Tennessee

Overview of Tennessee law, statistics, legislation, and news stories related to Safe Haven Baby Boxes in the state.

Law

Code notation link pending. SB 1146 went into effect May 11, 2022

Legislation

2023

• HB 164 and SB534— Requires the Department of Children’s Services to designate an authorized nonprofit licensed child-placing agency to assume physical care, custody, and control of an infant voluntarily left at certain facilities or in a newborn safety device; specifies that a court may waive the six-month waiting period after the filing of an adoption petition if the child was voluntarily left at certain facilities or in a newborn safety device and certain other circumstances have been met. Passed. Effective Date: July 1, 2023

2022

• HB 1146 Expands the procedure for surrendering a newborn infant without criminal liability to include placement in a newborn safety device located at a continuously staffed police station, fire station, or hospital; extends age limit from 2 weeks to 30 days. Requires that an infant delivered to a facility authorized to accept an infant as described in this amendment be issued a birth certificate by the office of vital records which supersedes and invalidates any previously issued birth certificate. Passed April 20, 2022; Signed by Governor, April 9, 2022; Effective Date: May 11, 2022.

• SB 1790  Expands the procedure for surrendering a newborn infant without criminal liability to include placement in a newborn safety device located at a continuously staffed police station, fire station, or hospital; allows either parent, rather than only a mother, to voluntarily surrender a newborn infant. Sine Die
• HB1932 Companion to SB 1790 Sine Die

2020

• HB 534: Amendment to state’s Safe Haven law to authorize use of newborn safety device. This bill is referenced in news articles below, but there is no record of it on the Tennessee Legislative page or Legiscan.

Hearings/Testimony/Letters

None to date.

News and Commentary

2023

• Non-profit group works to help protect surrendered newborn babies, WKRN-TV, January 20, 2023
• Tennessee’s first Safe Haven Baby Box coming to Knoxville fire station, WBIR-TV, February 10, 2023
• ‘Hope on the other side of the box. Founder speaks on importance of new Knoxville Baby Box, WVLT-TV February 13, 2023
• Tennessee’s 1st Baby Box is being blessed, Knoxville Daily Sun, February 16, 2023,
• Tennessee’s first “baby box” opens in Knoxville, Knoxville News Sentinel, February 17, 2023
• Safe Haven Baby Boxes for Weakley County, NWTN Today, February 28, 2023
• Greenville BMA Approves Baby Box Installation Fire Station, Greenvlle Sun April 5, 2023
• Legislation streamlines newborn adoptions in TN, Overton County News, April 26, 2023
• Hendersonville woman raising money to bring Middle Tennessee the first Safe Haven Baby Box, WKRN-TV, May 24, 2023
• Hendersonville to be home to Middle Tennessee’s first Safe Haven Baby Box, WTVF-TV, June 289, 2023
• Kingston Fire Department raising money to install “Safe Haven Baby Box, WBIR-TV, August 17, 2023
• Safe Haven Baby Bo x coming to Murfreesboro, Yahoo News, September 5, 2023
• Jackson is Home to the Second Safe Haven Baby B ox in the State of Tennessee, WNBJ-TV, September 14, 2023
• Springfield board approves agreement to install Safe Haven Baby Box at fire station, The Connection, November 28, 2023

2022

• State’s first Safe Haven Baby Boxes boxes to be placed in Jackson, WBBJ-TV, August 9, 2022
• The Jackson Fire Department is seeking the community’s support to start a “Safe Haven” Baby Box, WNBJ-TV, October 5, 2022

2020

• Spring Hill resident starts fundraiser to see Safe Haven Baby Box installed in city, Williamson Home Page, January 29, 2020
• Woman hopes to bring first “baby box” to Middle Tennessee, WKRN-TV Nashville, January 30, 2020
• State bill would set up boxes for “relinquished” infant at law enforcement, medical facilities, Johnson City Press, March 14, 2020

Updated November 29, 2023