Annual report on intercountry adoptions

42 U.S.C. § 14914

• Title: 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
• Chapter: SUBCHAPTER I—UNITED STATES CENTRAL AUTHORITY

Text

(a) Reports required
Beginning 1 year after the date of the entry into force of the Convention for the United States and each year thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General and other appropriate agencies, shall submit a report describing the activities of the central authority of the United States under this chapter during the preceding year to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Finance, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.
(b) Report elements
Each report under subsection (a) shall set forth with respect to the year concerned, the following:
(1) The number of intercountry adoptions involving immigration to the United States, regardless of whether the adoption occurred under the Convention, including the country from which each child emigrated, the State to which each child immigrated, and the country in which the adoption was finalized.
(2) The number of intercountry adoptions involving emigration from the United States, regardless of whether the adoption occurred under the Convention, including the country to which each child immigrated and the State from which each child emigrated.
(3) The number of Convention placements for adoption in the United States that were disrupted, including the country from which the child emigrated, the age of the child, the date of the placement for adoption, the reasons for the disruption, the resolution of the disruption, the agencies that handled the placement for adoption, and the plans for the child, and in addition, any information regarding disruption or dissolution of adoptions of children from other countries received pursuant to section 622(b)(12) of this title.
(4) The average time required for completion of a Convention adoption, set forth by country from which the child emigrated.
(5) The current list of agencies accredited and persons approved under this chapter to provide adoption services.
(6) The names of the agencies and persons temporarily or permanently debarred under this chapter, and the reasons for the debarment.
(7) The range of adoption fees charged in connection with Convention adoptions involving immigration to the United States and the median of such fees set forth by the country of origin.
(8) The range of fees charged for accreditation of agencies and the approval of persons in the United States engaged in providing adoption services under the Convention.
(9) A list of countries that established or maintained a significant law or regulation that prevented or prohibited adoptions involving immigration to the United States, regardless of whether such adoptions occurred under the Convention.
(10) For each country listed under paragraph (9), the date on which the law or regulation was initially implemented.
(11) Information on efforts taken with respect to a country listed under paragraph (9) to encourage the resumption of halted or stalled adoption proceedings involving immigration to the United States, regardless of whether the adoptions would have occurred under the Convention.
(12) Information on any action the Secretary carried out that prevented, prohibited, or halted any adoptions involving immigration to the United States, regardless of whether the adoptions occurred under the Convention.
(13) For each country listed pursuant to paragraph (12), a description of—
(A) what policies, procedures, resources, and safeguards the country lacks, or other shortcomings or circumstances, that caused the action to be carried out;
(B) what progress the country has made to alleviate those shortcomings; and
(C) what steps the Department of State has taken in order to assist the country to reopen intercountry adoptions.
(14) An assessment of the impact of the fee schedule of the Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity on families seeking to adopt internationally, especially low-income families, families seeking to adopt sibling groups, or families seeking to adopt children with disabilities.
(c) Public availability of report
The Secretary shall make the information contained in the report required under subsection (a) available to the public on the website of the Department of State.

History

(Pub. L. 106–279, title I, §104, Oct. 6, 2000, 114 Stat. 829; Pub. L. 109–288, §6(f)(9), Sept. 28, 2006, 120 Stat. 1248; Pub. L. 116–184, §2(a), (b), (d), Oct. 30, 2020, 134 Stat. 897, 898.)

Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes

References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b)(5), (6), was in the original "this Act", meaning Pub. L. 106–279, Oct. 6, 2000, 114 Stat. 825, known as the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 14901 of this title and Tables.

Amendments
2020—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–184, §2(d), substituted "Foreign Affairs" for "International Relations".
Subsec. (b)(9) to (14). Pub. L. 116–184, §2(a), added pars. (9) to (14).
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–184, §2(b), added subsec. (c).
2006—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 109–288 substituted "622(b)(12)" for "622(b)(14)".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2020 Amendment
Pub. L. 116–184, §2(e), Oct. 30, 2020, 134 Stat. 898, provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section] shall apply with respect to reports required to be submitted under section 104 of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14914) beginning on the date that is 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 30, 2020]."

Effective Date of 2006 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 109–288 effective Oct. 1, 2006, and applicable to payments under parts B and E of subchapter IV of chapter 7 of this title for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, without regard to whether implementing regulations have been promulgated, and with delay permitted if State legislation is required to meet additional requirements, see section 12(a), (b) of Pub. L. 109–288, set out as a note under section 621 of this title.

Effective Date
Section effective upon entry into force for the United States of the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, pursuant to Article 46(2)(a) of the Convention, with transition rule, see section 505(a)(2), (b) of Pub. L. 106–279, set out as an Effective Dates; Transition Rule note under section 14901 of this title.

Privacy Concerns
Pub. L. 116–184, §2(c), Oct. 30, 2020, 134 Stat. 898, provided that: "In complying with the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) [amending this section], the Secretary shall avoid, to the maximum extent practicable, disclosing any personally identifiable information relating to United States citizens or the adoptees of such citizens."