Indian Child Welfare Act Amendments of 2003

Bill: 108-hr-2750
Sponsor: Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]
Introduced: 2003-07-15 in the House
Policy area: Native Americans
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Adoption
Alaska
Arts, Culture, Religion
Canada
Child health
Child welfare
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Civil procedure
Court records
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal justice information
Custody of children
Department of Health and Human Services
Estates (Law)
Families
Federal-Indian relations
Fines (Penalties)
Foster home care
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Governmental investigations
Grandparents
Guardian and ward
Health
Identification of criminals
Indian children
Indian courts
Indian medical care
Indigenous peoples
Injunctions
Jurisdiction
Law
Legal fees
Legal services
Licenses
Minorities
Oklahoma
Parent and child
Parents
Parties to actions
Planning
Probate law and practice
Recidivists
Right of petition
Right to counsel
Social Welfare
Standards
State courts
State government-Indian relations
State laws
Trusts and trustees

Summary:
action_date: 2003-07-15
text: 
Indian Child Welfare Act Amendments of 2003 - Amends the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 concerning: (1) the application of the Act to any Indian child involved in a child custody proceeding regardless of whether such child has ever been part of an Indian family or maintained a social or cultural relationship with an Indian tribe; (2) jurisdiction over child custody and child adoption proceedings; (3) transfer of jurisdiction to tribal court; (4) intervention in state court proceedings, including the intervention rights of the extended family; (5) full faith and credit of tribal court judgments; (6) pending involuntary child custody proceedings, including a prohibition against prebirth involuntary custody proceedings; (7) voluntary termination of parental rights; (8) withdrawal of consent before a final decree; (9) notice to Indian tribes of the voluntary termination of parental rights or voluntary placement of a child; (10) intervention by an Indian tribe upon filing a notice of intent or a written objection; (11) written notice to parents of a terminated or changed adoptive placement or a commenced proceeding to adopt; (12) notice to extended family members; (13) invalidation of child custody proceedings; (14) expanded release of information concerning the tribal affiliation of biological parents; (15) assumption of jurisdiction over child custody proceedings by Indian tribes; (16) agreements between States and Indian tribes as they affect jurisdiction; (17) the content of notices with respect to pending involuntary child custody proceedings; (18) criminal sanctions for fraudulent representation during Indian child adoption proceedings; (19) visitation as an enforceable right; (20) Alaska Native postadoption inheritance rights; (21) promulgation of regulations governing compliance reviews; and (22) the application of these requirements to children of State-recognized and Canadian tribes.
 

 
Amends the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act to deem investigations conducted under such Act, and any foster or adoptive home licensed or approved by an Indian tribe under standards equal to or more stringent than those established under such Act, to satisfy the requirement of any other pertinent Federal law.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-24
text: Executive Comment Requested from Interior, HHS.
action_date: 2003-07-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
action_date: 2003-07-15
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1484)
action_date: 2003-07-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-07-15
text: Introduced in House