Intercountry Adoption Universal Accreditation Act of 2012
PL 112-276 (S.3331), enacted 01/14/2013

126 STAT. 2466 
PUBLIC LAW 112–276—JAN. 14, 2013 
Public Law 112–276 
112th Congress 
An Act 
To provide for universal intercountry adoption accreditation standards, and for 
other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Intercountry Adoption Universal 
Accreditation Act of 2012’’. 
SEC. 2. UNIVERSAL ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The provisions of title II and section 404 
of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14901 et seq.), 
and related implementing regulations, shall apply to any person 
offering or providing adoption services in connection with a child 
described in section 101(b)(1)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(b)(1)(F)), to the same extent as they apply 
to the offering or provision of adoption services in connection with 
a Convention adoption. The Secretary of State, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, the Attorney General (with respect to section 
404(b) of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14944)), 
and the accrediting entities shall have the duties, responsibilities, 
and authorities under title II and title IV of the Intercountry 
Adoption Act of 2000 and related implementing regulations with 
respect to a person offering or providing such adoption services, 
irrespective of whether such services are offered or provided in 
connection with a Convention adoption. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The provisions of this section shall take 
effect 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) TRANSITION RULE.—This Act shall not apply to a person 
offering or providing adoption services as described in subsection 
(a) in the case of a prospective adoption in which— 
(1) an application for advance processing of an orphan 
petition or petition to classify an orphan as an immediate 
relative for a child is filed before the date that is 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act; or 
(2) the prospective adoptive parents of a child have initiated 
the adoption process with the filing of an appropriate applica-
tion in a foreign country sufficient such that the Secretary 
of State is satisfied before the date that is 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Time period. 
Applicability. 
42 USC 14925. 
Intercountry 
Adoption 
Universal 
Accreditation Act 
of 2012. 
42 USC 14901 
note. 
Jan. 14, 2013 
[S. 3331] 
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126 STAT. 2467 
PUBLIC LAW 112–276—JAN. 14, 2013 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 3331: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 112–234 (Comm. on Foreign Relations). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 158 (2012): Dec. 5, considered and passed Senate. 
Dec. 30, considered in House. 
Vol. 158 (2013): Jan. 1, considered and passed House. 
SEC. 3. AVAILABILITY OF COLLECTED FEES FOR ACCREDITING ENTI-
TIES. 
(a) Section 403 of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 
U.S.C. 14943) is amended by striking subsection (c). 
(b) REPORT REQUIREMENT.—Section 202(b) of the Intercountry 
Adoption Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 14922(b)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) REPORT ON USE OF FEDERAL FUNDING.—Not later than 
90 days after an accrediting entity receives Federal funding 
authorized by section 403, the entity shall submit a report 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
that describes— 
‘‘(A) the amount of such funding the entity received; 
and 
‘‘(B) how such funding was, or will be, used by the 
entity.’’. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act, the terms ‘‘accrediting entity’’, ‘‘adoption service’’, 
‘‘Convention adoption’’, and ‘‘person’’ have the meanings given those 
terms in section 3 of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (42 
U.S.C. 14902). 
Approved January 14, 2013. 
42 USC 14925 
note. 
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