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of a left-behind parent’s custodial rights, including 
the rights of a military parent. 
(3) ABDUCTION
CASE.—The term ‘‘abduction 
case’’ means a case that— 
(A) has been reported to the Central Author-
ity of the United States by a left-behind parent 
for the resolution of an abduction; and 
(B) meets the criteria for an international 
child abduction under the Hague Abduction Con-
vention, regardless of whether the country at 
issue is a Convention country. 
(4) ACCESS
CASE.—The term ‘‘access case’’ 
means a case involving an application filed with the 
Central Authority of the United States by a parent 
seeking rights of access. 
(5) ANNUAL REPORT.—The term ‘‘Annual Re-
port’’ means the Annual Report on International 
Child Abduction required under section 101. 
(6) 
APPLICATION.—The 
term 
‘‘application’’ 
means— 
(A) in the case of a Convention country, the 
application required pursuant to article 8 of the 
Hague Abduction Convention; 
(B) in the case of a bilateral procedures 
country, the formal document required, pursuant
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to the provisions of the applicable arrangement, 
to request the return of an abducted child or to 
request rights of access, as applicable; and 
(C) in the case of a non-Convention coun-
try, the formal request by the Central Authority 
of the United States to the Central Authority of 
such country requesting the return of an ab-
ducted child or for rights of contact with an ab-
ducted child. 
(7) 
APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional commit-
tees’’ means the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives. 
(8) BILATERAL PROCEDURES.—The term ‘‘bilat-
eral procedures’’ means any procedures established by, 
or pursuant to, a bilateral arrangement, including a 
Memorandum of Understanding between the United 
States and another country, to resolve abduction and 
access cases, including procedures to address interim 
contact matters. 
(9) BILATERAL
PROCEDURES
COUNTRY.—The 
term ‘‘bilateral procedures country’’ means a country 
with which the United States has entered into bilat-
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eral procedures, including Memoranda of Under-
standing, with respect to child abductions. 
(10) CENTRAL AUTHORITY.—The term ‘‘Central 
Authority’’ means— 
(A) in the case of a Convention country, the 
meaning given such term in article 6 of the 
Hague Abduction Convention; 
(B) in the case of a bilateral procedures 
country, the official entity designated by the gov-
ernment of the bilateral procedures country with-
in the applicable memorandum of understanding 
pursuant to section 103(b)(1) to discharge the 
duties imposed on the entity; and 
(C) in the case of a non-Convention coun-
try, the foreign ministry or other appropriate 
authority of such country. 
(11) CHILD.—The term ‘‘child’’ means an indi-
vidual who has not attained 16 years of age. 
(12) CONVENTION
COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘Con-
vention country’’ means a country for which the 
Hague Abduction Convention has entered into force 
with respect to the United States. 
(13) 
HAGUE
ABDUCTION
CONVENTION.—The 
term ‘‘Hague Abduction Convention’’ means the Con-
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vention on the Civil Aspects of International Child 
Abduction, done at The Hague October 25, 1980. 
(14) INTERIM
CONTACT.—The term ‘‘interim 
contact’’ means the ability of a left-behind parent to 
communicate with or visit an abducted child during 
the pendency of an abduction case. 
(15) LEFT-BEHIND PARENT.—The term ‘‘left-be-
hind parent’’ means an individual or legal custodian 
who alleges that an abduction has occurred that is in 
breach of rights of custody attributed to such indi-
vidual. 
(16) NON-CONVENTION
COUNTRY.—The term 
‘‘non-Convention country’’ means a country in which 
the Hague Abduction Convention has not entered into 
force with respect to the United States. 
(17) OVERSEAS MILITARY DEPENDENT CHILD.— 
The term ‘‘overseas military dependent child’’ means 
a child whose habitual residence is the United States 
according to United States law even though the child 
is residing outside the United States with a military 
parent. 
(18) OVERSEAS
MILITARY
PARENT.—The term 
‘‘overseas military parent’’ means an individual 
who—
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(A) has custodial rights with respect to a 
child; and 
(B) is serving outside the United States as 
a member of the United States Armed Forces. 
(19) PATTERN OF NONCOMPLIANCE.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘pattern of 
noncompliance’’ means the persistent failure— 
(i) of a Convention country to imple-
ment and abide by provisions of the Hague 
Abduction Convention; 
(ii) of a non-Convention country to 
abide by bilateral procedures that have been 
established between the United States and 
such country; or 
(iii) of a non-Convention country to 
work with the Central Authority of the 
United States to resolve abduction cases. 
(B) PERSISTENT FAILURE.—Persistent fail-
ure under subparagraph (A) may be evidenced 
in a given country by the presence of 1 or more 
of the following criteria: 
(i) Thirty percent or more of the total 
abduction cases in such country are unre-
solved abduction cases.
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(ii) The Central Authority regularly 
fails to fulfill its responsibilities pursuant 
to— 
(I) the Hague Abduction Conven-
tion; or 
(II) any bilateral procedures be-
tween the United States and such 
country. 
(iii) The judicial or administrative 
branch, as applicable, of the national gov-
ernment of a Convention country or a bilat-
eral procedures country fails to regularly 
implement and comply with the provisions 
of the Hague Abduction Convention or bi-
lateral procedures, as applicable. 
(iv) Law enforcement authorities regu-
larly fail to enforce return orders or deter-
minations of rights of access rendered by the 
judicial or administrative authorities of the 
government of the country in abduction 
cases. 
(20) RIGHTS OF ACCESS.—The term ‘‘rights of 
access’’ means the establishment of rights of contact 
between a child and a parent seeking access in Con-
vention countries—