[ Search ] [ PDF text ] [ Legislation ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
92_HR0572 LRB9211149DJgc 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, Newborn infants have been abandoned to unsafe 3 environments or other circumstances that can result in death 4 or injury to those infants and that can result in civil or 5 criminal liability for parents who may be under severe 6 emotional distress; and 7 WHEREAS, There is a need for a mechanism whereby a 8 parent may relinquish a newborn infant to a safe environment 9 while maintaining anonymity and avoiding civil and criminal 10 liability; and 11 WHEREAS, Such a mechanism, while not preferable to a 12 plan for the infant's adoption, is a safer alternative than 13 the infant's abandonment; and 14 WHEREAS, Illinois has taken steps to implement such a 15 mechanism by enacting the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection 16 Act, Public Acts 92-408 and 92-432; and 17 WHEREAS, Parents in every state ought to have a means 18 for relinquishing a newborn infant to a safe environment; and 19 WHEREAS, H. R. 2873, the "Promoting Safe and Stable 20 Families Amendments of 2001", has passed the United States 21 House of Representatives and is presently being considered in 22 the United States Senate; the bill appropriates federal funds 23 to support infant safe haven programs such as the program 24 established in Illinois under the Abandoned Newborn Infant 25 Protection Act; and 26 WHEREAS, Passage of H. R. 2873 will be of invaluable 27 benefit to infants and their families in every state; 28 therefore, be it 29 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY- 30 SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we -2- LRB9211149DJgc 1 urge the United States Senate to pass H. R. 2873, the 2 "Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 2001"; and 3 be it further 4 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this Resolution be 5 sent to each member of the United States Senate.