I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6170 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to criminalize unlawful adoption 
practices. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 20, 2025 
Mr. ADERHOLT (for himself, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. LEE of Florida, and 
Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 18, United States Code, to criminalize 
unlawful adoption practices. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Adoption Deserves 
Oversight, Protection, and Transparency Act of 2025’’ or 
the ‘‘ADOPT Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:35 Nov 28, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6170.IH
H6170
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(1) protect individuals and families impacted by 
private domestic interstate adoption from exploi-
tation by unlicensed adoption intermediaries; 
(2) ensure that individuals seeking assistance 
with private domestic interstate adoption have ready 
access to licensed and regulated adoption providers 
in their communities; and 
(3) prevent the commodification of children who 
are the subjects of private domestic interstate adop-
tions. 
SEC. 3. ADOPTION OFFENSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 11A of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 228A. Unlawful adoption practices 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) 
ADOPTION
ADVERTISING.—The 
term 
‘adoption advertising’ means a paid advertisement, 
article, notice, or other paid communication pub-
lished in any newspaper, magazine, or on the inter-
net, on a billboard, over radio or television, or any 
public media that— 
‘‘(A) solicits prospective adoptive parents 
for the purpose of acting as a link between a 
placing parent and a prospective adoptive par-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:35 Nov 28, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6170.IH
H6170
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
ent, or the representative, attorney, or agency 
of a prospective adoptive parent or placing par-
ent, for the placement of a child for adoption; 
‘‘(B) solicits placing parents for the pur-
pose of acting as a link between a placing par-
ent and a prospective adoptive parent, or the 
representative, attorney, or agency of a prospec-
tive adoptive parent or placing parent, for the 
placement of a child for adoption; or 
‘‘(C) offers to disburse any thing of value, 
including living expenses, medical or hospital 
care, or any other expenses of a placing parent 
in connection with the birth or adoption of a 
child. 
‘‘(2) ADOPTION
INTERMEDIARY
SERVICES.— 
The term ‘adoption intermediary services’ means the 
provision of any of the following services, in ex-
change for direct or indirect compensation: 
‘‘(A) Soliciting placing parents, whether 
through adoption advertising or other means, 
for the purposes of acting as a link between a 
placing parent and a prospective adoptive par-
ent, or the representative, attorney, or agency 
of a prospective adoptive parent or placing par-
ent, for the placement of a child for adoption. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:35 Nov 28, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6170.IH
H6170
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(B) Soliciting prospective adoptive par-
ents, whether through adoption advertising or 
other means, for the purpose of acting as a link 
between a placing parent and a prospective 
adoptive parent, or the representative, attorney, 
or agency of a prospective adoptive parent or 
placing parent, for the placement of a child for 
adoption. 
‘‘(C) Acting as a link between placing par-
ents of a child and prospective adoptive parents, 
whether directly or through the representative, 
attorney, or agency of a prospective adoptive 
parent or placing parent, for the placement of 
a child for adoption. 
‘‘(3) PLACING
PARENT.—The term ‘placing 
parent’ means a parent with legal authority to place 
the child for adoption. 
‘‘(4) PUBLIC
CHILD-PLACING
AGENCY.—The 
term ‘public child-placing agency’ means any govern-
ment child welfare agency or child protection agency 
that has the legal authority to place children for 
adoption. 
‘‘(5) PRIVATE LICENSED CHILD-PLACING AGEN-
CY.—The term ‘private licensed child-placing agency’ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:35 Nov 28, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6170.IH
H6170
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
means a licensed or State approved agency that has 
the legal authority to place children for adoption. 
‘‘(b) ADOPTION INTERMEDIARY SERVICES.— 
‘‘(1) OFFENSE.—Whoever, in any circumstance 
described in subsection (e), knowingly provides adop-
tion intermediary services shall be punished as pro-
vided in accordance with subsection (f). 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not 
apply to— 
‘‘(A) a public child-placing agency; 
‘‘(B) an organization described in section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) 
of such Act that is acting under contract by a 
public child-placing agency; 
‘‘(C) a private licensed child-placing agen-
cy; 
‘‘(D) an attorney licensed in the State in 
which the intermediary services are provided; or 
‘‘(E) an adoption service provider accred-
ited or approved in accordance with title II of 
the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 
U.S.C. 14921 et seq.) advertising provision of 
services through an intercountry adoption pro-
gram. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:35 Nov 28, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6170.IH
H6170
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(c) ADOPTION ADVERTISING.— 
‘‘(1) OFFENSE.—Whoever, in any circumstance 
described in subsection (e), knowingly places an 
adoption advertisement shall be punished in accord-
ance with subsection (f). 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not 
apply to— 
‘‘(A) a public child-placing agency or pri-
vate licensed child-placing agency licensed to 
provide services in the State in which the adver-
tisement appears; 
‘‘(B) an organization described in section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) 
of such Act that is acting under contract by a 
public child-placing agency; 
‘‘(C) an attorney licensed in the State in 
which the advertisement appears; or 
‘‘(D) an adoption service provider accred-
ited or approved in accordance with title II of 
the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 
U.S.C. 14921 et seq.) advertising an inter-
country adoption program. 
‘‘(d) UNAUTHORIZED PAYMENTS TO OR ON BEHALF 
OF A PLACING PARENT.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:35 Nov 28, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6170.IH
H6170
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(1) OFFENSE.—Whoever, in any circumstance 
described in subsection (e), knowingly provides any 
thing of value, including money, property, or services 
(including medical or hospital care), whether pay-
ment is made directly or indirectly for the benefit of 
the placing parent in connection with the birth of a 
child and in furtherance of an adoption in an 
amount exceeding $2,500, before the consultation of 
a placing parent with a private licensed child-placing 
agency or attorney licensed in the State where the 
placing parent resides or is located, shall be pun-
ished in accordance with subsection (f). 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not 
apply with respect to any payment made by or in co-
operation with— 
‘‘(A) a private child-placing agency li-
censed in the State in which the placing parent 
resides or is located; 
‘‘(B) an attorney licensed in the State in 
which the placing parent resides or is located; 
or 
‘‘(C) a public agency or entity pursuant to 
any law or regulation, including any entitlement 
benefit, public assistance, or similar government 
support. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:35 Nov 28, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6170.IH
H6170
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(e) APPLICATIONS.—For the purposes of sub-
sections (b), (c), and (d), the circumstances under which 
those subsections apply are— 
‘‘(1) the defendant, placing parent, or prospec-
tive adoptive parent traveled in interstate or foreign 
commerce or traveled using a means, channel, facil-
ity, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign com-
merce, in furtherance of or in connection with the 
conduct described in subsection (b), (c), or (d); 
‘‘(2) the defendant knowingly used a means, 
channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or 
foreign commerce, in furtherance of or in connection 
with the conduct described in subsection (b), (c), or 
(d); 
‘‘(3) the defendant knowingly made a payment, 
directly or indirectly, using any means, channel, fa-
cility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign 
commerce or in or affecting interstate commerce, in 
furtherance of or in connection with the conduct de-
scribed in subsection (b), (c), or (d); 
‘‘(4) the defendant knowingly transmitted in 
interstate or foreign commerce any communication 
using any means, channel, or facility, or instrumen-
tality of interstate or foreign commerce, including 
wire or computer, in furtherance of or in connection 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:35 Nov 28, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6170.IH
H6170
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(3) prohibit a State or local government from 
enacting or enforcing requirements that are more 
stringent than the requirements established under 
this section.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) TABLE OF CHAPTERS.—The table of chap-
ters for part I of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘11A. Child support and unlawful adoption practices .............................
228’’. 
(2) CHAPTER HEADING.—The chapter heading 
for chapter 11A of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended 
by 
inserting 
‘‘AND 
UNLAWFUL 
ADOPTION PRACTICES’’ after ‘‘CHILD 
SUPPORT’’. 
(3) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 
for chapter 11A of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding after the item relating to section 
228, the following: 
‘‘228A. Unlawful adoption practices.’’. 
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall 
take effect on the date that is 120 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
18:35 Nov 28, 2025
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6170.IH
H6170
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB