Further Amendment #764.1 to H4000

Further Amendment to #764

Mr. Bradley of Hingham moves to further amend amendment 764 by striking out the amendment in its entirety and inserting in place thereof the following:-

SECTION XX. The executive office of public safety and security, in conjunction with the department of children and families, shall investigate and study the feasibility of expanding the protections under section 39½ of chapter 119 of the General Laws to allow the placement into foster care any newborn infant aged 7 days or less that is voluntarily placed with an emergency responder at an agreed upon location following a 911 call. The study shall include, but not be limited to, the following: 1) the safety implications to children and families of such an expansion, and the benefits of allowing emergency responders to interact directly with parents; 2) the potential liability exposure to emergency responders, and the legal protections necessary to shield emergency responders during a request for placement; 3) the need to provide additional training and education for emergency responders and associated costs; and 4) rules, regulations and procedures required for implementation to maximize protections for both children and emergency responders. The executive office shall file its report, including recommendations for legislation, to the joint committee on public safety and homeland security no later than September 30, 2014.