What’s the ‘Baby Moses Law?’ Now, One Texas Representative Wants to Expand it
Just like the Biblical story of Moses, there are times when a mother is in such a desperate situation, she or he is no longer able to care for their infant.
Whatever the reason may be, I can't even imagine the level of angst, worry, and sorrow that may accompany the difficult decision to place your little one in the hands of (hopefully) caring people so that your baby can have a better life.
And though I'm sure there are scenarios when a parent simply doesn't want to deal with taking care of their baby. But, for most of the cases, I can imagine it would be overwhelmingly heartbreaking.
And yes, it from the Biblical story of Moses that the current Baby Moses Law gets its name. Currently, the law states that a parent may drop off their baby at one of the designated locations, such as a police station, a hospital, or a fire department--as long as the baby is no older than 60 days.
One Texas State Representative from District 124, Ina Minjares, wants to expand the law to make it legal to drop off a child at a designated location up to one-year in age.
Representative Minjares said "within that 60 days once that passes mothers don't feel like they have an option and they don't want to be prosecuted," reports CBS Austin.
Important to note: The mother would only be free from prosecution so long as the child is not injured.
She filed the bill in November of 2020 and if it passes, it may go into effect as soon as September 2021.