Sean and David Goldman Act Amendments

Bill: 118-hr-8365
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
Introduced: 2024-05-10
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-05-10
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8365 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 10, 2024 Mr. Smith of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To amend the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 to make modifications to that Act.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Sean and David Goldman Act Amendments . 2. Definitions Section 3 of the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 ( 22 U.S.C. 9101 ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (3)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking abduction case means a and inserting abduction case means— (A) a ; (B) by striking (A) has been reported and inserting the following: (i) has been reported ; (C) in clause (i) (as so designated), by striking ; and at the end; (D) by striking (B) meets the criteria and inserting the following: (ii) meets the criteria ; (E) in clause (ii) (as so designated), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and (F) by adding at the end the following: (B) includes any case reported involving an application filed with the Central Authority of the United States or directly with the foreign central authority by a parent seeking rights of access or return.”; ; (2) by amending paragraph (7) to read as follows: (7) Appropriate congressional committees The term ‘appropriate congressional committees’ means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Judiciary, and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives; and (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Judiciary, and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate. ; and (3) in paragraph (11), by striking “16” and inserting “18”. 3. Action in the case of abducted children who reach the age of 16 Section 201 of the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 ( 22 U.S.C. 9121 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (d) Action in the case of abducted children who reach the age of 16 When an individual who is an abducted child attains 16 years of age, a consular officer from a United States diplomatic mission in the country in which such individual resides shall, until either the parent seeking assistance or the individual (after attaining 18 years of age) requests the officer to cease, annually— (1) attempt to contact such individual, engaging other agencies and foreign counterparts as necessary to obtain a verified location; (2) advise such individual of applicable rights under section 51.28 of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, including with respect to executing an application for a passport on the individual’s own behalf; and (3) advise such individual of applicable rights under sections 3301 through 3327 of title 38, United States Code. . 4. Study of international parental child abduction Section 202 of the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 ( 22 U.S.C. 9122 ) is amended by inserting the following new subsection after subsection (g): (h) Study of international parental child abduction (1) Study required Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary of State shall seek to enter into an agreement with an appropriate nongovernmental organization to study and publish a report on the grave harm to abducted children and left-behind parents as a result of international parental child abduction. (2) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to carry out the study described in paragraph (1). .