126 STAT. 2466 PUBLIC LAW 112–276—JAN. 14, 2013 

Public Law 112–276 

112th Congress 

An Act 

To provide for universal intercountry adoption accreditation standards, and for 

other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Intercountry Adoption Universal 

Accreditation Act of 2012’’. 

SEC. 2. UNIVERSAL ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The provisions of title II and section 404 

of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14901 et seq.), 

and related implementing regulations, shall apply to any person 

offering or providing adoption services in connection with a child 

described in section 101(b)(1)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality 

Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(b)(1)(F)), to the same extent as they apply 

to the offering or provision of adoption services in connection with 

a Convention adoption. The Secretary of State, the Secretary of 

Homeland Security, the Attorney General (with respect to section 

404(b) of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14944)), 

and the accrediting entities shall have the duties, responsibilities, 

and authorities under title II and title IV of the Intercountry 

Adoption Act of 2000 and related implementing regulations with 

respect to a person offering or providing such adoption services, 

irrespective of whether such services are offered or provided in 

connection with a Convention adoption. 

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The provisions of this section shall take 

effect 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

(c) TRANSITION RULE.—This Act shall not apply to a person 

offering or providing adoption services as described in subsection 

(a) in the case of a prospective adoption in which— 

(1) an application for advance processing of an orphan 

petition or petition to classify an orphan as an immediate 

relative for a child is filed before the date that is 180 days 

after the date of the enactment of this Act; or 

(2) the prospective adoptive parents of a child have initiated 

the adoption process with the filing of an appropriate application in a foreign country sufficient such that the Secretary 

of State is satisfied before the date that is 180 days after 

the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Time period. 

Applicability. 

42 USC 14925. 

Intercountry 

Adoption 

Universal 

Accreditation Act 

of 2012. 

42 USC 14901 

note. 

Jan. 14, 2013 

[S. 3331] 


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PUBLIC LAW 112–276—JAN. 14, 2013 126 STAT. 2467 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 3331: 

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 112–234 (Comm. on Foreign Relations). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 

Vol. 158 (2012): Dec. 5, considered and passed Senate. 

Dec. 30, considered in House. 

Vol. 158 (2013): Jan. 1, considered and passed House. 

Æ 

SEC. 3. AVAILABILITY OF COLLECTED FEES FOR ACCREDITING ENTITIES. 

(a) Section 403 of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 

U.S.C. 14943) is amended by striking subsection (c). 

(b) REPORT REQUIREMENT.—Section 202(b) of the Intercountry 

Adoption Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14922(b)) is amended by adding 

at the end the following: 

‘‘(5) REPORT ON USE OF FEDERAL FUNDING.—Not later than 

90 days after an accrediting entity receives Federal funding 

authorized by section 403, the entity shall submit a report 

to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 

that describes— 

‘‘(A) the amount of such funding the entity received; 

and 

‘‘(B) how such funding was, or will be, used by the 

entity.’’. 

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act, the terms ‘‘accrediting entity’’, ‘‘adoption service’’, 

‘‘Convention adoption’’, and ‘‘person’’ have the meanings given those 

terms in section 3 of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 

U.S.C. 14902). 

Approved January 14, 2013. 

42 USC 14925 

note. 


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