Today, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) co-sponsored the bipartisan Intercountry Adoption Information Act, which would provide updated, quality information to Americans trying to adopt children from other countries. This bipartisan legislation was introduced by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and also co-sponsored by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
“We should be making the process to adopt children from other countries as easy as possible for the American families willing to give a child a home,” said Senator Tillis. “This bipartisan legislation would remove the information barrier many of those families currently face, and I hope we can get this commonsense legislation passed out of Congress and signed into law soon.”
“Far too often, American families trying to adopt a child abroad face difficulties navigating the intercountry adoption process,” said Senator Burr. “That is why I am proud to reintroduce this bill, which will bring to light the detrimental barriers that thwart adoptions and require the State Department to share the ways they are working to remove these barriers. I hope the Senate will quickly pass this commonsense legislation so we can better equip families with the tools needed to welcome a child into their home.”
Background:
Currently, the Intercountry Adoption Act (IAA) of 2000, requires the U.S. State Department to provide an annual report on intercountry adoptions. The report includes information on topics such as the number of intercountry adoptions, countries of origin for those adopted, and information on adoption agencies.
The Intercountry Adoption Information Act would amend the IAA to require the State Department to provide additional information on the following:
- Countries that have enacted policies to prevent or prohibit adoptions to the United States;
- Actions taken by the State Department which have prevented adoptions to the United States;
- The ways in which the State Department has worked to encourage resuming adoptions in both cases.
This information is critical for American families looking to adopt from countries that have established barriers to adoption, such as Russia or Ethiopia, or areas where the State Department has suspended intercountry adoption, such as abandoned children in Nepal.
Congressmen Doug Collins (R-GA) and James Langevin (D-RI) also introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives this week.
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