North Korean Child Welfare Act of 2012
PL 112-264 (H.R.1464), enacted 01/14/2013

126 STAT. 2432 
PUBLIC LAW 112–264—JAN. 14, 2013 
Public Law 112–264 
112th Congress 
An Act 
To express the sense of Congress regarding North Korean children and children 
of one North Korean parent and to require the Department of State regularly 
to brief appropriate congressional committees on efforts to advocate for and develop 
a strategy to provide assistance in the best interest of these children. 
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 ‘‘North Korean Child Welfare 
Act of 2012’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) hundreds of thousands of North Korean children suffer 
from malnutrition in North Korea, and North Korean children 
or children of one North Korean parent who are living outside 
of North Korea may face statelessness in neighboring countries; 
and 
(2) the Secretary of State should advocate for the best 
interests of these children, including, when possible, facilitating 
immediate protection for those living outside North Korea 
through family reunification or, if appropriate and eligible in 
individual cases, domestic or international adoption. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.—The term 
‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ means the Committee 
on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. 
(2) HAGUE COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘Hague country’’ means 
a country where the Convention on Protection of Children and 
Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, done at The 
Hague May 29, 1993, has entered into force and is fully imple-
mented. 
(3) NON-HAGUE COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘non-Hague country’’ 
means a country where the Convention on Protection of Chil-
dren and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, done 
at The Hague May 29, 1993, has not entered into force. 
SEC. 4. BRIEFINGS ON THE WELFARE OF NORTH KOREAN CHILDREN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall designate a 
representative to regularly brief the appropriate congressional 
committees in an unclassified setting on United States Government 
efforts to advocate for the best interests of North Korean children 
Designation. 
22 USC 7834. 
22 USC 7834 
note. 
North Korean 
Child Welfare 
Act of 2012. 
22 USC 7801 
note. 
Jan. 14, 2013 
[H.R. 1464] 
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126 STAT. 2433 
PUBLIC LAW 112–264—JAN. 14, 2013 
and children of one North Korean parent, including efforts to 
address, when appropriate, the adoption of such children living 
outside North Korea without parental care. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The Secretary’s designee shall be prepared to 
address in each briefing the following topics: 
(1) The analysis of the Department of State of the chal-
lenges facing North Korean children residing outside North 
Korea and challenges facing children of one North Korean 
parent in other countries who are fleeing persecution or are 
living as de jure or de facto stateless persons. 
(2) Department of State efforts to advocate for the best 
interest of North Korean children residing outside North Korea 
or children of one North Korean parent living in other countries 
who are fleeing persecution or are living as de jure or de 
facto stateless persons, including, when possible, efforts to 
address the immediate care and family reunification of these 
children, and, in individual cases where appropriate, the adop-
tion of eligible North Korean children living outside North 
Korea and children of one North Korean parent living outside 
North Korea. 
(3) Department of State efforts to develop a comprehensive 
strategy to address challenges that United States citizens would 
encounter in attempting to adopt, via intercountry adoption, 
North Korean-origin children residing in other countries or 
children of one North Korean parent residing outside North 
Korea who are fleeing persecution or are living as de jure 
or de facto stateless persons, including efforts to overcome 
the complexities involved in determining jurisdiction for best 
interest determinations and adoption processing, if appropriate, 
of those who habitually reside in a Hague country or a non- 
Hague country. 
(4) Department of State diplomatic efforts to encourage 
countries in which North Korean children or children of one 
North Korean parent are fleeing persecution or reside as de 
jure or de facto stateless persons to resolve issues of stateless-
ness of North Koreans residing in that country. 
(5) Department of State efforts to work with the Govern-
ment of the Republic of Korea to establish pilot programs 
that identify, provide for the immediate care of, and assist 
in the family reunification of North Korean children and chil-
dren of one North Korean parent living within South Korea 
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126 STAT. 2434 
PUBLIC LAW 112–264—JAN. 14, 2013 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1464: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 158 (2012): Sept. 11, considered and passed House. 
Dec. 28, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Vol. 158 (2013): Jan. 1, House concurred in Senate amendments. 
and other countries who are fleeing persecution or are living 
as de jure or de facto stateless persons. 
Approved January 14, 2013. 
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