MN HF1559

Hospitals receiving safe place newborns must report the birth to the Office of Vital Records within five days and register the newborn according to state vital records procedures.

Birth records for safe place newborns are classified as confidential data and may only be disclosed to responsible social services agencies or by court order.

If a safe place newborn was born at a hospital with an existing birth record registered, the state registrar must issue a replacement birth record free of parental identifying information, with the prior record remaining confidential.

Safe place facilities (hospitals, urgent care providers, and ambulance services) may request medical history and Indian tribal lineage information from mothers leaving newborns but cannot inquire about identity or call police if the newborn is unharmed.

Safe place employees, doctors, and medical professionals receive criminal and civil immunity for receiving newborns in good faith and are protected from liability for failure to report under mandatory reporter laws when acting in compliance with this section.