Senate Bill 2386 Summary

• Establishes the "Mississippi Safe Haven Law" allowing parents to anonymously relinquish infants 60 days old or younger to emergency medical services providers without fear of prosecution.

• Requires emergency medical services providers to attempt obtaining the infant's medical history and background information from the relinquishing parent, including information about maternal controlled substance use (inadmissible in court proceedings).

• Mandates the Department of Child Protection Services take legal custody immediately upon notice and physical custody within 24 hours, then report the infant to law enforcement as a potential missing child within 48 hours.

• Requires court hearings within 48 hours (for custody confirmation) and 30-45 days (for permanency planning and parental rights termination) with no parental notice required and a presumption that relinquishment constitutes consent to termination of parental rights.

• Requires the department to publish notice in newspapers and send news releases to media within 48 hours describing the infant and hearing details, allowing any person to assert parental rights at the hearing.