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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 34 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 34

  Calling on the United States and Russia to continue cooperation in 
        securing safe and loving homes for unparented children.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 15, 2013

Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Calling on the United States and Russia to continue cooperation in 
        securing safe and loving homes for unparented children.

Whereas in both the United States and Russia, the number of children in need of 
        loving parents far outnumbers the families actively seeking to adopt;
Whereas since 1991 more than 60,000 Russian children have found safe, permanent, 
        and loving homes with United States families;
Whereas in 19 cases, adopted Russian children have died from abuse or neglect in 
        the care of their adoptive United States parents, and others have 
        suffered abuse;
Whereas Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 20, 2012, regarding 
        United States citizens who have adopted Russian children, ``We know that 
        tragedies happen but the vast majority of people who adopt Russian 
        children take good care of them and are good, decent people'';
Whereas countries making children available for international adoption have the 
        right and responsibility to set procedural safeguards and criteria to 
        ensure the children's well-being;
Whereas in response to cases of abuse and neglect, the Government of Russia 
        negotiated the July 13, 2011, bilateral adoption agreement to strengthen 
        procedural safeguards in the adoption process between the United States 
        and Russia and to ensure the well-being of children adopted by United 
        States families;
Whereas the bilateral adoption agreement signed on July 13, 2011, by United 
        States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign 
        Minister Sergey Lavrov entered into force between the United States and 
        Russia on November 1, 2012;
Whereas the Russian Government has expressed concern that the Russian 
        Government's efforts to check on the welfare of adopted Russian children 
        and to monitor legal proceedings involving abuse against Russian 
        children have not been accommodated consistently;
Whereas, on December 28, 2012, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin 
        signed into law legislation entitled ``On Measures Concerning the 
        Implementation of Government Policy on Orphaned Children and those 
        without Parental Care'', which includes a ban on adoptions of Russian 
        children by United States citizens, and may negatively affect adoptions 
        that are already in process or completed;
Whereas 52, and possibly more, intercountry adoptions of Russian children by 
        United States families are in the final legal stages of adoption in 
        Russia, and hundreds of additional United States families had adoptions 
        pending in Russia as of January 1, 2013;
Whereas adoption, both domestic and international, is an important child 
        protection tool and an integral part of child welfare best practices 
        around the world, along with prevention of abandonment and family 
        reunification; and
Whereas the United Nations, the Hague Conference on Private International Law, 
        and other international organizations have recognized a child's right to 
        a family as a basic human right worthy of protection: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) appeals to the Russian Government to allow the 
        adoptions initiated before January 1, 2013, to proceed to 
        conclusion;
            (2) invites the Government of Russia to continue 
        participation in the bilateral adoption agreement that went 
        into force November 1, 2012;
            (3) expresses deep sadness over the untimely and tragic 
        deaths in the United States of 19 adopted Russian children and 
        over the other cases of abuse;
            (4) celebrates the tens of thousands of loving, safe United 
        States families who have opened their homes and hearts to 
        Russian children;
            (5) affirms the extensive work of the Russian Foreign 
        Ministry and the United States Department of State to create 
        safeguards against future abuse through the bilateral adoption 
        agreement that went into force November 1, 2012; and
            (6) urges Federal, State, and local governments and 
        adoptive families to accommodate official inquiries into the 
        well-being of adopted Russian children and to comply with all 
        adoption requirements delineated by the bilateral agreement, 
        including the monitoring of the child's living conditions and 
        upbringing, the submission of corresponding reports, and 
        registration of the child with the Russian consulate.
                                 <all>
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