I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5574
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an
adoption awareness program; to establish the Adoption Awareness Com-
mission; and to promote adoptions through increased public awareness
and increased tax incentives.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 26, 2000
Mr. LAMPSON (for himself, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. TURNER, Mr. HINOJOSA, Ms.
JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr.
RODRIGUEZ, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. HILLIARD, Ms. ESHOO,
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. OLVER, Mr. FORBES, Mr. ROTHMAN,
Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. MCCOLLUM, Mr.
INSLEE, Ms. WOOLSEY, and Mr. KING) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addi-
tion to the Committees on Commerce, and Education and the Workforce,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services
to establish an adoption awareness program; to establish
the Adoption Awareness Commission; and to promote
adoptions through increased public awareness and in-
creased tax incentives.
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 Does Offer
Potential Treasures Act of 2000’’.
TITLE I—ADOPTION PROMOTION
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Adoption Promotion
Act’’.
SEC. 102. ADOPTION AWARENESS PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and
Human Services (referred to in this title as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall establish an adoption awareness program.
The Secretary shall make grants through the program to
eligible private entities to pay for the Federal share of the
cost of developing and distributing materials promoting
adoption.
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—An entity that receives a
grant under subsection (a) shall use funds made
available through the grant to develop and carry out
an adoption public promotion campaign, including—
(A) developing and placing public service
announcements regarding adoption on tele-
vision, radio, and billboards; and
(B) developing and distributing brochures
regarding adoption through federally funded
family planning clinics in the United States, in-
cluding coordinating the distribution of the bro-
chures with the distribution of educational ma-
terials under title X of the Public Health Serv-
ice Act (42 U.S.C. 300 et seq.).
(2) LIMITATION.—The entity may not place a
public service announcement, as described in para-
graph (1)(A), or distribute a brochure, as described
in paragraph (1)(B), until the Secretary has re-
viewed the announcement or brochure, reviewed the
recommendation described in section 103(d)(2)(B)
regarding the announcement or brochure, and ap-
proved the announcement or brochure.
(c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant
under subsection (a), an entity shall submit an application
to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and includ-
ing such information as the Secretary may require.
(d) SELECTION.—The Secretary shall make grants
under subsection (a) to recipients selected from among ap-
plicants receiving favorable recommendations from the
Adoption 
Awareness 
Commission 
under 
section
103(d)(1)(B).
(e) FEDERAL SHARE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Federal share of the
cost described in subsection (a) shall be 50 percent.
(2) NON-FEDERAL
SHARE.—The non-Federal
share of the cost may be contributed in cash or in
kind, fairly evaluated, including plant, equipment, or
services.
SEC. 103. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a com-
mission to be known as the Adoption Awareness Commis-
sion (referred to in this title as the ‘‘Commission’’).
(b) COMPOSITION.—The Commission shall be com-
posed of 7 members, of whom—
(1) 1 shall be appointed by the President;
(2)(A) 2 shall be appointed by the President,
from among not fewer than 6 persons nominated by
the majority leader of the Senate; and
(B) 1 shall be appointed by the President, from
among not fewer than 4 persons nominated by the
minority leader of the Senate; and
(3)(A) 2 shall be appointed by the President,
from among not fewer than 6 persons nominated by
the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and
(B) 1 shall be appointed by the President, from
among not fewer than 4 persons nominated by the
minority leader of the House of Representatives.
(c) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—Mem-
bers shall be appointed for the life of the Commission. Any
vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers, but
shall be filled in the same manner as the original appoint-
ment.
(d) DUTIES.—The Commission shall—
(1)(A) review the applications submitted under
section 102; and
(B) by majority vote, make recommendations to
the Secretary regarding which applicants should re-
ceive grants made under section 102; and
(2)(A) review the public service announcements
and brochures developed by the recipients of the
grants made under section 102; and
(B) by majority vote, make recommendations to
the Secretary regarding approval of the announce-
ments and brochures.
(e) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet at least
4 times in each fiscal year.
(f) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—Each member of
the Commission who is not an officer or employee of the
Federal Government shall be compensated at a rate equal
to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay pre-
scribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under sec-
tion 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (in-
cluding travel time) during which such member is engaged
in the performance of the duties of the Commission. All
members of the Commission who are officers or employees
of the United States shall serve without compensation in
addition to that received for their services as officers or
employees of the United States.
(g) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Com-
mission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per
diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employ-
ees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title
5, United States Code, while away from their homes or
regular places of business in the performance of services
for the Commission.
(h) DETAIL
OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—Any
Federal Government employee may be detailed to the
Commission without reimbursement, and such detail shall
be without interruption or loss of civil service status or
privilege.
(i) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT-
TENT SERVICES.—The Chairman of the Commission may
procure temporary and intermittent services under section
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individ-
uals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual
rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive
Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
(j) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate
on September 30, 2005.
SEC. 104. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this title $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001
through 2005.
TITLE 
II—ADOPTION 
CREDIT,
AND EXCLUSION FOR ADOP-
TION 
ASSISTANCE 
PRO-
GRAMS, 
EXPANDED 
AND
MADE PERMANENT
SEC. 201. ADOPTION CREDIT, AND EXCLUSION FOR ADOP-
TION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, EXPANDED
AND MADE PERMANENT.
(a) INCREASE IN MAXIMUM BENEFIT.—
(1) Section 23(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986 (relating to dollar limitation) is
amended by striking ‘‘$5,000 ($6,000’’ and inserting
‘‘$7,500 ($10,000’’.
(2) Section 137(b)(1) of such Code is amended
by striking ‘‘$5,000 ($6,000’’ and all that follows
and inserting ‘‘the dollar limit applicable under sec-
tion 23(b)(1).’’.
(b) HIGHER INCOME TAXPAYERS ELIGIBLE
FOR
BENEFITS.—
(1) Section 23(b)(2)(A)(i) of such Code (relat-
ing to income limitation) is amended by striking
‘‘$75,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$150,000’’.
(2) Section 137(b)(2)(A) of such Code is
amended by striking ‘‘$75,000’’ and inserting ‘‘the
dollar limit applicable under section 23(b)(2)(A)(i)’’.
(c) BENEFITS MADE PERMANENT FOR ALL CHIL-
DREN.—
(1) Paragraph (2) of section 23(d) of such Code
is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE
CHILD.—The term ‘eligible
child’ means any individual who—
‘‘(A) has not attained age 18, or
‘‘(B) is physically or mentally incapable of
caring for himself.’’.
(2) Section 137 of such Code is amended by
striking subsection (f) (relating to termination).
(d) COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT OF DOLLAR LIMI-
TATIONS.—Section 23 of such Code is amended by redes-
ignating subsection (h) as subsection (i) and by inserting
after subsection (g) the following new subsection:
‘‘(h) COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case of an adoption
which becomes final in any calendar year after 2001,
the dollar amounts in subsection (b)(1) and the
$150,000 amount in subsection (b)(2)(A)(i) with re-
spect to such adoption shall be increased by an
amount equal to—
‘‘(A) such dollar amount, multiplied by
‘‘(B) the cost-of-living adjustment deter-
mined under section 1(f)(3) for such calendar
year by substituting ‘calendar year 2000’ for
‘calendar year 1992’ in subparagraph (B)
thereof.
‘‘(2) ROUNDING.—
‘‘(A) MAXIMUM CREDIT AMOUNTS.—If any
dollar amount in subsection (b)(1) as adjusted
under the preceding sentence is not a multiple
of $100, such amount shall be rounded to the
nearest multiple of $100.
‘‘(B) 
INCOME
LIMITATION.—If 
the
$150,000 amount as adjusted under the pre-
ceding sentence is not a multiple of $1,000,
such amount shall be rounded to the nearest
multiple of $1,000.’’
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
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