I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8365 

To amend the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction 

Prevention and Return Act of 2014 to make modifications to that Act. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 10, 2024 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend the Sean and David Goldman International Child 

Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 to make 

modifications to that Act. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sean and David Gold5 man Act Amendments’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 Section 3 of the Sean and David Goldman Inter8 national Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 

9 2014 (22 U.S.C. 9101) is amended— 

10 (1) in paragraph (3)— 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 8365 IH

1 (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 

2 (A), by striking ‘‘ ‘abduction case’ means a’’ 

3 and inserting ‘‘ ‘abduction case’ means— 

4 ‘‘(A) a’’; 

5 (B) by striking ‘‘(A) has been reported’’ 

6 and inserting the following: 

7 ‘‘(i) has been reported’’; 

8 (C) in clause (i) (as so designated), by 

9 striking ‘‘; and’’ at the end; 

10 (D) by striking ‘‘(B) meets the criteria’’ 

11 and inserting the following: 

12 ‘‘(ii) meets the criteria’’; 

13 (E) in clause (ii) (as so designated), by 

14 striking the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 

15 and’’; and 

16 (F) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(B) includes any case reported involving 

18 an application filed with the Central Authority 

19 of the United States or directly with the foreign 

20 central authority by a parent seeking rights of 

21 access or return.’’;’’; 

22 (2) by amending paragraph (7) to read as fol23 lows: 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 8365 IH

1 ‘‘(7) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT2 TEES.—The term ‘appropriate congressional com3 mittees’ means— 

4 ‘‘(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 

5 the Committee on Appropriations, the Com6 mittee on Judiciary, and the Committee on 

7 Homeland Security of the House of Representa8 tives; and 

9 ‘‘(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, 

10 the Committee on Appropriations, the Com11 mittee on Judiciary, and the Committee on 

12 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

13 of the Senate.’’; and 

14 (3) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘‘16’’ and in15 serting ‘‘18’’. 

16 SEC. 3. ACTION IN THE CASE OF ABDUCTED CHILDREN 

17 WHO REACH THE AGE OF 16. 

18 Section 201 of the Sean and David Goldman Inter19 national Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 

20 2014 (22 U.S.C. 9121) is amended by adding at the end 

21 the following: 

22 ‘‘(d) ACTION IN THE CASE OF ABDUCTED CHILDREN

23 WHO REACH THE AGE OF 16.— When an individual who 

24 is an abducted child attains 16 years of age, a consular 

25 officer from a United States diplomatic mission in the 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 8365 IH

1 country in which such individual resides shall, until either 

2 the parent seeking assistance or the individual (after at3 taining 18 years of age) requests the officer to cease, an4 nually— 

5 ‘‘(1) attempt to contact such individual, engag6 ing other agencies and foreign counterparts as nec7 essary to obtain a verified location; 

8 ‘‘(2) advise such individual of applicable rights 

9 under section 51.28 of title 22, Code of Federal 

10 Regulations, including with respect to executing an 

11 application for a passport on the individual’s own 

12 behalf; and 

13 ‘‘(3) advise such individual of applicable rights 

14 under sections 3301 through 3327 of title 38, 

15 United States Code.’’. 

16 SEC. 4. STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL CHILD AB17 DUCTION. 

18 Section 202 of the Sean and David Goldman Inter19 national Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 

20 2014 (22 U.S.C. 9122) is amended by inserting the fol21 lowing new subsection after subsection (g): 

22 ‘‘(h) STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL CHILD

23 ABDUCTION.— 

24 ‘‘(1) STUDY REQUIRED.— Not later than 1 year 

25 after the date of the enactment of this subsection, 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 8365 IH

1 the Secretary of State shall seek to enter into an 

2 agreement with an appropriate nongovernmental or3 ganization to study and publish a report on the 

4 grave harm to abducted children and left-behind 

5 parents as a result of international parental child 

6 abduction. 

7 ‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

8 There is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 

9 for each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to carry out 

10 the study described in paragraph (1).’’. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS