II 

Calendar No. 539 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3331 

[Report No. 112–234] 

To provide for universal intercountry adoption accreditation standards, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 21, 2012 

Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. LUGAR, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. INHOFE, and Mr. 

DURBIN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

NOVEMBER 13, 2012 

Reported by Mr. KERRY, without amendment 

A BILL 

To provide for universal intercountry adoption accreditation 

standards, 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 ‘‘Intercountry Adoption 

5 Universal Accreditation Act of 2012’’. 


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•S 3331 RS

1 SEC. 2. UNIVERSAL ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The provisions of title II and sec3 tion 404 of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 

4 U.S.C. 14901 et seq.), and related implementing regula5 tions, shall apply to any person offering or providing adop6 tion services in connection with a child described in section 

7 101(b)(1)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 

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

9 to the offering or provision of adoption services in connec10 tion with a Convention adoption. The Secretary of State, 

11 the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General 

12 (with respect to section 404(b) of the Intercountry Adop13 tion Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14944)), and the accrediting 

14 entities shall have the duties, responsibilities, and authori15 ties under title II and title IV of the Intercountry Adop16 tion Act of 2000 and related implementing regulations 

17 with respect to a person offering or providing such adop18 tion services, irrespective of whether such services are of19 fered or provided in connection with a Convention adop20 tion. 

21 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The provisions of this sec22 tion shall take effect 18 months after the date of the en23 actment of this Act, but shall not apply to any case in 

24 which, as of such effective date— 

25 (1) a petition to classify an orphan as an imme26 diate relative is pending or has been approved; or 


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•S 3331 RS

1 (2) an application for advance processing of or2 phan petition is pending or has been approved and 

3 such approval has not expired. 

4 SEC. 3. AVAILABILITY OF COLLECTED FEES FOR ACCRED5 ITING ENTITIES. 

6 Section 403 of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 

7 (42 U.S.C. 14943) is amended by striking subsection (c). 

8 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

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

10 service’’, ‘‘Convention adoption’’, and ‘‘person’’ have the 

11 meanings given those terms in section 3 of the Inter12 country Adoption Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14902). 


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Calendar No. 539 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3331 

[Report No. 112–234] 

A BILL 

To provide for universal intercountry adoption 

accreditation standards, and for other purposes. 

NOVEMBER 13, 2012 

Reported without amendment 


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