Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee Act of 2018

Bill: 115-hr-6985
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Curtis, John R. [R-UT-3]
Introduced: 2018-09-28
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Adoption and foster care

Advisory bodies

Congressional oversight

Department of State

Executive agency funding and structure

Families
Latest action: action_date: 2018-09-28
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-09-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee Act of 2018</b></p> <p>This bill authorizes the Department of State to establish an advisory committee on intercountry adoption. If such a committee is established, it shall periodically provide recommendations on improvements to intercountry adoption.</p> <p></p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6985 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 28, 2018 Mr. Curtis introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To establish an Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee Act of 2018 . 2. Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee (a) Establishment The Secretary of State may establish within the Bureau of Consular Affairs an intercountry adoption advisory committee (the Advisory Committee ). (b) Duties (1) In general If the Advisory Committee is established under subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall consult the Advisory Committee, as appropriate, on intercountry adoption, including on the development, refinement, and implementation of policies and programs pertaining to intercountry adoption. (2) Recommendations The Advisory Committee shall develop, at the request of the Secretary, recommendations for improvements to intercountry adoption. (3) Periodic reports The Advisory Committee shall periodically submit to the Secretary of State— (A) reports on matters identified by the Secretary; and (B) reports on other matters identified by a majority of the members of the Advisory Committee. (4) Annual report The Advisory Committee shall submit to the Secretary of State an annual report providing information on the activities, findings, and recommendations of the Advisory Committee for the preceding year. Not later than 180 days after the date that the Secretary receives the annual report, the Secretary shall publish a public version describing the Advisory Committee's activities and such related matters as would be informative to the public consistent with the policy of section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code. (5) Feedback Not later than 90 days after receiving recommendations transmitted by the Advisory Committee under paragraph (4), the Secretary of State shall respond in writing to the Advisory Committee with feedback on each of the recommendations, an action plan to implement any of the recommendations with which the Secretary concurs, and a justification for why any of the recommendations have been rejected. (6) Congressional notification Not later than 30 days after providing written feedback to the Advisory Committee under paragraph (5), the Secretary of State shall notify Congress of the feedback. (c) Membership Not later than 180 days after establishing the Advisory Committee under subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall appoint the members of the Advisory Committee. The members so appointed shall include groups representing adoption service providers, adoptive families, adoptees, adoption attorneys, social workers, and representatives of U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of State.