II

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 290

To establish an adoption awareness program, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JANUARY 21, 1999

Mr. ABRAHAM (for himself and Ms. LANDRIEU) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To establish an adoption awareness program, and for other

purposes.

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 ‘‘Adoption Promotion

5 Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. ADOPTION AWARENESS PROGRAM.

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and

8 Human Services (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec9 retary’’) shall establish an adoption awareness program.

10 The Secretary shall make grants through the program to
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1 eligible private entities to pay for the Federal share of the

2 cost of developing and distributing materials promoting

3 adoption.

4 (b) USE OF FUNDS.—

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—An entity that receives a

6 grant under subsection (a) shall use funds made

7 available through the grant to develop and carry out

8 an adoption public promotion campaign, including—

9 (A) developing and placing public service

10 announcements regarding adoption on tele11 vision, radio, and billboards; and

12 (B) developing and distributing brochures

13 regarding adoption through federally funded

14 family planning clinics in the United States, in15 cluding coordinating the distribution of the bro16 chures with the distribution of educational ma17 terials under title X of the Public Health Serv18 ice Act (42 U.S.C. 300 et seq.).

19 (2) LIMITATION.—The entity may not place a

20 public service announcement, as described in para21 graph (1)(A), or distribute a brochure, as described

22 in paragraph (1)(B), until the Secretary has re23 viewed the announcement or brochure, reviewed the

24 recommendation described in section 3(d)(2)(B) re-
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1 garding the announcement or brochure, and ap2 proved the announcement or brochure.

3 (c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant

4 under subsection (a), an entity shall submit an application

5 to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and includ6 ing such information as the Secretary may require.

7 (d) SELECTION.—The Secretary shall make grants

8 under subsection (a) to recipients selected from among ap9 plicants receiving favorable recommendations from the

10 Adoption Awareness Commission under section

11 3(d)(1)(B).

12 (e) FEDERAL SHARE.—

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Federal share of the

14 cost described in subsection (a) shall be 50 percent.

15 (2) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal

16 share of the cost may be contributed in cash or in

17 kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or

18 services.

19 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

20 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a com21 mission to be known as the Adoption Awareness Commis22 sion (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Commission’’).

23 (b) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be com24 posed of 7 members, of whom—

25 (1) 1 shall be appointed by the President;
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1 (2)(A) 2 shall be appointed by the President,

2 from among not fewer than 6 persons nominated by

3 the majority leader of the Senate; and

4 (B) 1 shall be appointed by the President, from

5 among not fewer than 4 persons nominated by the

6 minority leader of the Senate; and

7 (3)(A) 2 shall be appointed by the President,

8 from among not fewer than 6 persons nominated by

9 the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

10 (B) 1 shall be appointed by the President, from

11 among not fewer than 4 persons nominated by the

12 minority leader of the House of Representatives.

13 (c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—Mem14 bers shall be appointed for the life of the Commission. Any

15 vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers, but

16 shall be filled in the same manner as the original appoint17 ment.

18 (d) DUTIES.—The Commission shall—

19 (1)(A) review the applications submitted under

20 section 2; and

21 (B) by majority vote, make recommendations to

22 the Secretary regarding which applicants should re23 ceive grants made under section 2; and
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1 (2)(A) review the public service announcements

2 and brochures developed by the recipients of the

3 grants made under section 2; and

4 (B) by majority vote, make recommendations to

5 the Secretary regarding approval of the announce6 ments and brochures.

7 (e) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at least

8 4 times in each fiscal year.

9 (f) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Each member of

10 the Commission who is not an officer or employee of the

11 Federal Government shall be compensated at a rate equal

12 to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay pre13 scribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under sec14 tion 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (in15 cluding travel time) during which such member is engaged

16 in the performance of the duties of the Commission. All

17 members of the Commission who are officers or employees

18 of the United States shall serve without compensation in

19 addition to that received for their services as officers or

20 employees of the United States.

21 (g) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Com22 mission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per

23 diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employ24 ees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title

25 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or
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1 regular places of business in the performance of services

2 for the Commission.

3 (h) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—Any

4 Federal Government employee may be detailed to the

5 Commission without reimbursement, and such detail shall

6 be without interruption or loss of civil service status or

7 privilege.

8 (i) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT9 TENT SERVICES.—The Chairman of the Commission may

10 procure temporary and intermittent services under section

11 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individ12 uals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual

13 rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive

14 Schedule under section 5316 of such title.

15 (j) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate

16 on September 30, 2004.

17 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

18 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out

19 this Act $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2000 through

20 2004.

Æ