home, and includes the decision of the agency or en-
tity involved to seek the termination of birth parent 
rights or otherwise make a child legally available for 
adoptive placement. 
(b) EQUITABLE RELIEF.—Any individual who is ag-
grieved by an action in violation of subsection (a) may 
bring an action seeking relief in a United States district 
court of appropriate jurisdiction. 
(c) FEDERAL GUIDANCE.—Not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services shall publish guidance to con-
cerned entities with respect to compliance with this sec-
tion. 
(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—In order to ensure 
compliance with, and ensure understanding of the legal, 
practice, and culture changes required by, this Act in mak-
ing foster care and adoption placement decisions, the Sec-
retary shall provide technical assistance to all entities cov-
ered by this Act, including— 
(1) identifying laws and regulations inconsistent 
with this Act and providing guidance and training to 
ensure the laws and regulations are brought into 
compliance within the prescribed period of time; 
(2) identifying casework practices and proce-
dures inconsistent with this Act and providing guid-
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ance and training to ensure the practices and proce-
dures are brought into compliance within the pre-
scribed period of time; 
(3) providing guidance in expansion of recruit-
ment efforts to ensure consideration of all interested 
and qualified prospective adoptive and foster parents 
regardless of the sexual orientation, gender identity, 
or marital status of the prospective parent; 
(4) comprehensive cultural competency training 
for covered entities and prospective adoptive and fos-
ter parents; and 
(5) training judges and attorneys involved in 
foster care and adoption cases on the findings and 
purposes of this Act. 
(e) DEADLINE FOR COMPLIANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), an entity that receives Federal assistance 
and is involved with adoption or foster care place-
ments shall comply with this section not later than 
6 months after publication of the guidance referred 
to in subsection (c), or 1 year after the date of en-
actment of this Act, whichever occurs first. 
(2) AUTHORITY TO EXTEND DEADLINE.—If a 
State demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services that it is nec-
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essary to amend State statutory law in order to 
change a particular practice that is inconsistent with 
this section, the Secretary may extend the compli-
ance date for the State and any entities in the State 
that are involved with adoption or foster care place-
ments a reasonable number of days after the close 
of the 1st State legislative session beginning after 
the date the guidance referred to in subsection (c) 
is published. 
(3) AUTHORITY TO WITHHOLD FUNDS.—If a 
State fails to comply with this section, the Secretary 
may withhold payment to the State of amounts oth-
erwise payable to the State under part B or E of 
title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621 
et seq., 670 et seq.), to the extent the Secretary 
deems the withholding necessary to induce the State 
into compliance with this section. 
(f) GAO STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 5 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall conduct a study 
to determine whether the States have substantially 
complied with this Act, including specifically whether 
the States have— 
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(A) eliminated policies, practices, or stat-
utes that deny to any otherwise qualified person 
the opportunity to become an adoptive or foster 
parent on the basis of the sexual orientation, 
gender identity, or marital status of the person, 
or the sexual orientation or gender identity of 
the child involved; 
(B) removed all program, policy, or statu-
tory barriers that delay or deny the placement 
of a child for adoption or into foster care on the 
basis of the sexual orientation, gender identity, 
or marital status of any qualified, prospective 
adoptive or foster parent, or the sexual orienta-
tion or gender identity of the child; and 
(C) eliminated all different or additional 
screenings, processes, or procedures for adop-
tive or foster placement decisions based on the 
sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital 
status of the prospective adoptive or foster par-
ent, or the sexual orientation or gender identity 
of the child involved. 
(2) REPORT
TO
THE
CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 1 year after completing the study required by 
paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall submit 
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to Congress a written report that contains the re-
sults of the study. 
Æ 
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