SUBCHAPTER I—UNITED STATES CENTRAL AUTHORITY
§14911. Designation of central authority
(a) In general
For purposes of the Convention and this chapter—
(1) the Department of State shall serve as the central authority of the United States; and
(2) the Secretary shall serve as the head of the central authority of the United States.
(b) Performance of central authority functions
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the Secretary shall be responsible for the performance of all central authority functions for the United States under the Convention and this chapter.
(2) All personnel of the Department of State performing core central authority functions in a professional capacity in the Office of Children's Issues shall have a strong background in consular affairs, personal experience in international adoptions, or professional experience in international adoptions or child services.
(c) Authority to issue regulations
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the Secretary may prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out central authority functions on behalf of the United States.
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Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a), (b)(1), and (c), was in the original "this Act", meaning
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective Oct. 6, 2000, with transition rule, see section 505(a)(1), (b) of
§14912. Responsibilities of the Secretary of State
(a) Liaison responsibilities
The Secretary shall have responsibility for—
(1) liaison with the central authorities of other Convention countries; and
(2) the coordination of activities under the Convention by persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
(b) Information exchange
The Secretary shall be responsible for—
(1) providing the central authorities of other Convention countries with information concerning—
(A) accredited agencies and approved persons, agencies and persons whose accreditation or approval has been suspended or canceled, and agencies and persons who have been temporarily or permanently debarred from accreditation or approval;
(B) Federal and State laws relevant to implementing the Convention; and
(C) any other matters necessary and appropriate for implementation of the Convention;
(2) not later than the date of the entry into force of the Convention for the United States (pursuant to Article 46(2)(a) of the Convention) and at least once during each subsequent calendar year, providing to the central authority of all other Convention countries a notice requesting the central authority of each such country to specify any requirements of such country regarding adoption, including restrictions on the eligibility of persons to adopt, with respect to which information on the prospective adoptive parent or parents in the United States would be relevant;
(3) making responses to notices under paragraph (2) available to—
(A) accredited agencies and approved persons; and
(B) other persons or entities performing home studies under
(4) ensuring the provision of a background report (home study) on prospective adoptive parent or parents (pursuant to the requirements of
(5) providing Federal agencies, State courts, and accredited agencies and approved persons with an identification of Convention countries and persons authorized to perform functions under the Convention in each such country; and
(6) facilitating the transmittal of other appropriate information to, and among, central authorities, Federal and State agencies (including State courts), and accredited agencies and approved persons.
(c) Accreditation and approval responsibilities
The Secretary shall carry out the functions prescribed by the Convention with respect to the accreditation of agencies and the approval of persons to provide adoption services in the United States in cases subject to the Convention as provided in subchapter II. Such functions may not be delegated to any other Federal agency.
(d) Additional responsibilities
The Secretary—
(1) shall monitor individual Convention adoption cases involving United States citizens; and
(2) may facilitate interactions between such citizens and officials of other Convention countries on matters relating to the Convention in any case in which an accredited agency or approved person is unwilling or unable to provide such facilitation.
(e) Establishment of registry
The Secretary and the Attorney General shall jointly establish a case registry of all adoptions involving immigration of children into the United States and emigration of children from the United States, regardless of whether the adoption occurs under the Convention. Such registry shall permit tracking of pending cases and retrieval of information on both pending and closed cases.
(f) Methods of performing responsibilities
The Secretary may—
(1) authorize public or private entities to perform appropriate central authority functions for which the Secretary is responsible, pursuant to regulations or under agreements published in the Federal Register; and
(2) carry out central authority functions through grants to, or contracts with, any individual or public or private entity, except as may be otherwise specifically provided in this chapter.
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Editorial Notes
References in Text
Subchapter II, referred to in subsec. (c), was in the original "title II", meaning title II of
This chapter, referred to in subsec. (f)(2), was in the original "this Act", meaning
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective Oct. 6, 2000, with transition rule, see section 505(a)(1), (b) of
§14913. Responsibilities of the Attorney General
In addition to such other responsibilities as are specifically conferred upon the Attorney General by this chapter, the central authority functions specified in Article 14 of the Convention (relating to the filing of applications by prospective adoptive parents to the central authority of their country of residence) shall be performed by the Attorney General.
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Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original "this Act", meaning
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective Oct. 6, 2000, with transition rule, see section 505(a)(1), (b) of
§14914. Annual report on intercountry adoptions
(a) Reports required
Beginning 1 year after the date of the entry into force of the Convention for the United States and each year thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General and other appropriate agencies, shall submit a report describing the activities of the central authority of the United States under this chapter during the preceding year to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Finance, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.
(b) Report elements
Each report under subsection (a) shall set forth with respect to the year concerned, the following:
(1) The number of intercountry adoptions involving immigration to the United States, regardless of whether the adoption occurred under the Convention, including the country from which each child emigrated, the State to which each child immigrated, and the country in which the adoption was finalized.
(2) The number of intercountry adoptions involving emigration from the United States, regardless of whether the adoption occurred under the Convention, including the country to which each child immigrated and the State from which each child emigrated.
(3) The number of Convention placements for adoption in the United States that were disrupted, including the country from which the child emigrated, the age of the child, the date of the placement for adoption, the reasons for the disruption, the resolution of the disruption, the agencies that handled the placement for adoption, and the plans for the child, and in addition, any information regarding disruption or dissolution of adoptions of children from other countries received pursuant to
(4) The average time required for completion of a Convention adoption, set forth by country from which the child emigrated.
(5) The current list of agencies accredited and persons approved under this chapter to provide adoption services.
(6) The names of the agencies and persons temporarily or permanently debarred under this chapter, and the reasons for the debarment.
(7) The range of adoption fees charged in connection with Convention adoptions involving immigration to the United States and the median of such fees set forth by the country of origin.
(8) The range of fees charged for accreditation of agencies and the approval of persons in the United States engaged in providing adoption services under the Convention.
(9) A list of countries that established or maintained a significant law or regulation that prevented or prohibited adoptions involving immigration to the United States, regardless of whether such adoptions occurred under the Convention.
(10) For each country listed under paragraph (9), the date on which the law or regulation was initially implemented.
(11) Information on efforts taken with respect to a country listed under paragraph (9) to encourage the resumption of halted or stalled adoption proceedings involving immigration to the United States, regardless of whether the adoptions would have occurred under the Convention.
(12) Information on any action the Secretary carried out that prevented, prohibited, or halted any adoptions involving immigration to the United States, regardless of whether the adoptions occurred under the Convention.
(13) For each country listed pursuant to paragraph (12), a description of—
(A) what policies, procedures, resources, and safeguards the country lacks, or other shortcomings or circumstances, that caused the action to be carried out;
(B) what progress the country has made to alleviate those shortcomings; and
(C) what steps the Department of State has taken in order to assist the country to reopen intercountry adoptions.
(14) An assessment of the impact of the fee schedule of the Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity on families seeking to adopt internationally, especially low-income families, families seeking to adopt sibling groups, or families seeking to adopt children with disabilities.
(c) Public availability of report
The Secretary shall make the information contained in the report required under subsection (a) available to the public on the website of the Department of State.
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Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b)(5), (6), was in the original "this Act", meaning
Amendments
2020—Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (b)(9) to (14).
Subsec. (c).
2006—Subsec. (b)(3).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2020 Amendment
Effective Date of 2006 Amendment
Amendment by
Effective Date
Section effective upon entry into force for the United States of the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, pursuant to Article 46(2)(a) of the Convention, with transition rule, see section 505(a)(2), (b) of