'Moses Bill' Put on Hold Until Next Year
Originally published by The Associated Press, April 13, 2001
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Legislature has deferred action this year on a bill that would make it legal for a mother to anonymously abandon a baby in a safe place.
Members of the Judiciary Committee endorsed the concept but said the bill has too many flaws that need to be addressed before it moves forward for a vote.
The measure has been informally dubbed the Moses Bill, for the biblical story of a mother who saved her son's life by abandoning him.
If passed, it would mean that a person could not be prosecuted for abandoning a child that was 31 days old or younger if the baby is left with a police officer, firefighter or hospital staff member.
The person leaving the child would not be required to provide any information about themselves or the child's identity. In 21 days the parent's rights would be terminated and the baby could be adopted.
The promise of confidentiality has proven controversial, drawing objections from some lawmakers as well as from the Department of Human Services and the Maine Civil Liberties Union.
"What if the person who is dropping off the child is not the mother?" asked Rep. Charles LaVerdiere, D-Wilton. "There are a million 'what ifs' here."
LaVerdiere said if the mother does not have to identify herself, the baby's father or other family members could not be contacted, and the child would grow up without knowing anything about his family or medical history.
The bill follows a series of highly-publicized child abandonment cases around the country in which young mothers left newborn babies in dangerous situations.
Last May, a South Portland woman left her newborn son in a toilet at Boston's Logan International Airport moments after giving birth. In March, a Portland woman was arrested for abandoning her newborn outside a Denver Restaurant.
Sixteen other states have passed laws to remove legal obstacles from women who want to give up their babies without revealing their identity. Those laws have saved the lives of 20 babies, said Michael Poulin, the chairman of Catholic Charities of Maine.
The idea behind all of them, he said, is to remove barriers for young women who don't want anyone to find out that they've had a baby.
