BOSTON (AP) – Parents will be able to leave unwanted newborns at hospitals, police departments and staffed fired departments without fear of legal repercussions under legislation signed into law on Friday, three years after it was first proposed.

Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, acting as governor while Mitt Romney is out of state at his son’s wedding, signed the bill, making Massachusetts the 47th state to adopt a so-called “safe haven” law. The law only applies to infants who are less than 7 days old.

The bill, which takes effect in 90 days, was proposed in response to tragedies involving frightened parents who have left children in secluded spots to die rather than risk punishment by delivering them to the authorities.

“We have been confronted with several tragic and near tragic instances in recent years, where newborns have been abandoned in dangerous and life threatening situations,” Healey said. “The new safe havens law will help save the lives of abandoned infants by giving panicked parents a safe alternative.”

The law requires the Department of Social Services to take custody of the newborn and find safe foster care. The agency is also instructed to create a public awareness campaign to promote the new law as well as teen pregnancy programs and adoption information.

The campaign will target areas with the highest teen pregnancy rates.

AP-ES-07-30-04 1454EDT