Sponsors (2)
Official title: Amend the adoption opportunities program to define unregulated custody transfers of children and to improve awareness and prevention of such transfers, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Amy Klobuchar · Last progress February 13, 2025
The bill strengthens federal guidance, supports, and data collection to improve safety and stability for adoptive children and families, but it increases federal costs and could spur state-level rules that add paperwork or barriers for informal temporary caregivers.
Children in adoptive or post‑adoption placements will receive clearer federal guidance and resources to prevent unsafe informal custody transfers, improving child safety and permanency.
Prospective and recent adoptive families gain better access to pre‑ and post‑adoption support information, which can reduce placement disruptions and help create more stable homes.
Congress and HHS will get a mandated report with data and recommendations on prevalence, causes, and remedies, enabling evidence‑based federal and state policy changes to address informal custody transfers.
Taxpayers will incur additional administrative costs for HHS to prepare the mandated report, maintain outreach materials, and update a public website.
Broad federal guidance and outreach may prompt states to adopt new regulations or paperwork requirements that increase administrative burden and could delay informal caregiving arrangements.
If states respond with stricter oversight, relatives or family friends providing short‑term care may face screening or procedural barriers that complicate timely temporary caregiving.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds a definition and federal findings on unregulated custody transfers, directs HHS to expand outreach/resources, and requires a two-year report with recommendations.
Creates a new ‘‘sense of Congress’’ finding that unregulated custody transfers of adopted children pose safety, permanency, and citizenship risks, and directs HHS to update federal resources and public education about preventing and responding to such transfers. Requires HHS, in consultation with the State Department, to report to relevant congressional committees within two years analyzing causes, prevalence by State, effects, and recommended legal and practice changes, and to describe technical assistance and outreach activities.