SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would expand the number of safe havens for abandoned infants has been approved unanimously by the Illinois House.

The quickly moving legislation (HB 106) is sponsored by state Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-Urbana. It was introduced Jan. 11, cleared a House committee on Feb. 16 and was approved 101-0 by the full House on Feb. 22.

The original Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act, approved in 2001, granted parents immunity from criminal prosecution if they safely abandon their infants with personnel at designated "safe havens," including police stations, fire stations, hospitals and medical emergency facilities.

Jakobsson's bill expands the safe havens to include all Illinois State Police district headquarters and full-time campus police stations at public and private campuses in the state.

Jakobsson said the legislation was not prompted by a particular incident at an Illinois college campus.

"Sadly, there are times when distressed new parents feel that they have no choice but to abandon their child," Jakobsson said. "After learning that this problem was occurring more often on college campuses, I felt it necessary to expand the legislation to provide more safe haven locations."