Voluntary Specialized Accreditation for Background and Home Studies Act
Bill: S.5101 | Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. (R-MS)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Voluntary Specialized Accreditation for Background and Home Studies Act
This bill modifies intercountry adoption provisions to include voluntary accreditation relating to performing a background study on a child or performing a home study on a prospective adoptive parent.

To modify the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 to provide a 
specialized accreditation option for performing a background study on a 
child or a home study on prospective adoptive parents, and reporting on 
                             such a study.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Voluntary Specialized Accreditation 
for Background and Home Studies Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) prospective adoptive parents should receive high-
        quality services from experienced providers for their child 
        background studies and home studies;
            (2) the number of accredited adoption service providers is 
        declining in the United States, leading to fewer options of 
        accredited service providers;
            (3) some foreign countries, primary providers and many 
        adoptive families have a preference that only accredited 
        adoption service providers conduct intercountry home studies 
        and post adoption reporting;
            (4) accreditation and approval ensures compliance with 
        standards and requires accrediting entities to provide 
        oversight, enforcement, and data and report collection for 
        accredited and approved adoption service providers; and
            (5) United States intercountry adoption practices can be 
        enhanced by supporting an accreditation system that includes a 
        new, limited accreditation option for the provision of a 
        background study on a child or a home study on a prospective 
        adoptive parent, in addition to current, comprehensive, 
        mandatory accreditation for primary providers.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION ACT OF 2000.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 3 of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 
2000 (42 U.S.C. 14902) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``specialized 
        accreditation'' after ``adoption services'';
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (17) as paragraph (18); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (16) the following:
            ``(17) Specialized accreditation.--The term `specialized 
        accreditation' means voluntary accreditation that is limited to 
        the provision of 1 or more of the following services:
                    ``(A) Performing a background study on a child in 
                an outgoing case and reporting on such a study.
                    ``(B) Performing a home study on a prospective 
                adoptive parent in an incoming case and reporting on 
                such a study.''.
    (b) Accreditation and Approval.--
            (1) In general.--Section 202(b)(1) of the Intercountry 
        Adoption Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14922(b)(1)) is amended to read 
        as follows:
            ``(1) Accreditation and approval.--Accreditation of 
        agencies, and approval of persons, to provide adoption services 
        or other specialized services in the United States in cases 
        subject to the Convention or Intercountry Adoption Universal 
        Accreditation Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-276). At the time of 
        initial or renewal of accreditation of agencies, and approval 
        of persons, the applying entity shall indicate whether the 
        entity seeks accreditation as--
                    ``(A) an accredited agency or approved person; or
                    ``(B) an agency with a limited home study or child 
                background study.''.
            (2) Exemption from paperwork reduction act.--Section 503(c) 
        of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14953(c)) 
        is amended by inserting ``202(b)(1),'' after ``104,''.

SEC. 4. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.

    (a) In General.--Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this 
Act may be construed to require that intercountry adoption service 
providers have a specialized accreditation (as defined in section 3(17) 
of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, as amended by section 
3(a)(3)), to provide a home study on prospective adoptive parents 
pursuing an intercountry adoption.
    (b) Definition of Adoption Service.--Nothing in this Act or in the 
amendments made by this Act may be construed to modify the definition 
of ``adoption service'' under section 3 of the Intercountry Adoption 
Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14902).

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall take effect on the date that is 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.
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