Art. 1160. Additional regulations; Administrative Procedure Act; reporting

A. The department, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, shall promulgate all rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this Chapter, including but not limited to the following:

(1) Notice to the public of the existence of designated emergency care facilities and the use of safe havens through the following actions:

(a) The establishment of a toll-free telephone number to direct individuals to designated emergency care facilities.

(b) The provision of safe haven publicity and informational materials on the department's website for review and download by the public.

(c)(i) Promulgation of the image that shall constitute the official Safe Haven symbol in accordance with Article 1161.

(ii) Transmittal of an electronic version of the Safe Haven symbol to any designated emergency care facility upon request.

(iii) Production and distribution to designated emergency care facilities of signage bearing the Safe Haven symbol, subject to availability of funding for this purpose.

(2)(a) Written information, training materials, and an instructional video to be made available for download on the department's website, for the instruction of representatives of emergency medical care facilities who are designated to receive relinquished children and to interview relinquishing parents.

(b) The department shall review all information, materials, video, and any other media produced in accordance with this Paragraph at least annually; and, to the extent that funding is available for such purposes, shall update, revise, and reissue these resources as the secretary of the department deems necessary.

(3) Procedures and forms informing a relinquishing parent about his right to file a claim and be heard in accordance with Articles 1156 and 1157 and his right to use the services of the voluntary registry in accordance with Chapter 15 of Title XII.

(4) Procedures for use by a physician in conducting the medical evaluation of the child in accordance with Article 1153.

(5) The department shall utilize existing funds to effectuate the provisions of Subparagraphs (A)(1) and (2) of this Article.

B. In addition to any other duties as may be required by this Article, the department shall develop and implement annually each of the following plans:

(1) An annual communication and public information action plan to increase public awareness of the Safe Haven Law. This plan shall include, without limitation, all of the following actions:

(a) Issuing media releases for distribution to print, radio, and television media.

(b) Disseminating information through social media.

(c) Conducting outreach to the public through collaborations with community-based organizations, child protection stakeholder groups, offices of state government, and any other entities the secretary of the department deems appropriate.

(d) Undertaking any other communication or publicity activity deemed necessary by the secretary of the department and for which sufficient funding is available.

(2)(a) An action plan providing for dissemination of information and training resources relating to the Safe Haven Law to designated emergency care facilities.

(b) To the extent the secretary of the department deems appropriate, and contingent upon availability of funding for this purpose, the department may also disseminate the information and resources provided for in Subsubparagraph (a) of this Subparagraph to any of the following:

(i) Schools of medicine.

(ii) Schools of nursing.

(iii) Law enforcement training schools.

(iv) Firefighter training programs.

(v) Emergency medical service provider training programs.

(vi) Any other institutions that train professionals who typically work in a designated emergency care facility.

C. On or before January first annually, the department shall submit to the House Committee on Health and Welfare and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare a report addressing efforts undertaken in the period covered by the report to raise public awareness of the Safe Haven Law. The report shall include but not be limited to a recapitulation of content of the communication and public information action plan and action plan for dissemination of safe haven information and training resources required by this Article.

Acts 2003, No. 609, §2; Acts 2010, No. 471, §1; Acts 2015, No. 223, §1; Acts 2016, No. 84, §1.