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Legislators Pushing To Add Baby Boxes At Safe Havens

The Indiana House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill that would give parents one last option before abandoning their newborns by placing their baby in what's called a safe haven baby box.

Indiana has a law that allows parents to legally and confidentially give up their newborns at fire stations, police departments and hospitals.

But legislators hope House Bill 1016 — currently making its way through the Statehouse — could save even more lives.

Indiana could become the first in the nation to use the baby boxes.

The box acts as a quasi-incubator where a parent could drop off a newborn at a Safe Haven location. If it becomes law, supporters say that 100 of the privately funded boxes will be deployed by July 2016.

The bill now goes to the Senate.