Senate Bill 1773 amends various provisions of the Tennessee Code Annotated regarding the voluntary surrendering of infants. The bill introduces new language to specify that an ambulance station must have staff scheduled twenty-four hours a day, in addition to existing requirements for fire departments. It also modifies the language throughout the relevant sections to replace "is staffed" with "has staff scheduled," ensuring consistency in terminology.

Furthermore, the bill revises the criteria for approved locations where infants can be voluntarily surrendered. It replaces an existing subdivision with a new one that outlines the requirements for participating hospitals, fire stations, ambulance stations, police stations, emergency communications centers, or nursing homes. These locations must be licensed or legally operating in the state and have staff scheduled continuously on a twenty-four-hour basis by a licensed emergency medical services provider. The bill will take effect upon becoming law.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 68-11-255(a)(2), 68-11-255, 68-11-255(a)(4)(C), 68-11-255(h)