Legislative Update: International Adoption SImplification Act and Help Haiti Act

Two pieces of legislation concerning International Adoption have recently made progress through the legislature:

Nov 30, 2010 - S. 1376: International Adoption Simplification Act. This was signed by President Obama and bill has become law. The law restores immunization and sibling age exemptions for children adopted by United States citizens under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. This act allows waivers of the immigration immunization requirements for children adopted from Hague partner countries. It also allows children up to the age of 18 to be adopted and admitted into the US if they are siblings of previously adopted children. This law addresses oversights in the drafting of the Hague Regulations and brings those regulations into parity with existing international adoption law and policy on immunization waivers and sibling adoptions in non-Hague programs. PEAR's position on this legislation can be found here: http://pear-now.blogspot.com/2009/08/following-legislative-proposals-were.html

Dec 1, 2010 - H 5283/S 3411 Help for Haiti Act. The House passed the Act and it is now awaiting President's Obama's signiture before becoming law. This Act is intended to assist Haitian children who arrived in the US on Special Humanitarian Parole for adoption to achieve an easier path to US Citizenship by easing the process granting them permanent resident status. PEAR's position on this legislation can be found here: http://pear-now.blogspot.com/2010/07/legislative-updates-hr-5283-and-s-3411.html

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

MEDIA: Adoption Simplification Act, S 1376, Passes House

Klobuchar's bipartisan adoption bill now goes to the president

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced that her legislation, the International Adoption Simplification Act, has passed the House of Representatives and will now be sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Klobuchar and cosponsored by Senators James Inhofe (R-OK) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA), would allow U.S. parents to adopt children who are siblings, even if one of those children is between the ages of 16 and 18, and help protect children’s health during the adoption process.

The bill would restore two exemptions to U.S. immigration law for internationally adopted children that were eliminated when the United States began implementation of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption.

More: http://www.hometownsource.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15725:klobuchars-bipartisan-adoption-bill-now-goes-to-the-president&catid=1:latest

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Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Legislative Update: S. 1376, International Adoption Simplification Act Passes in the Senate

On July 22, S. 1376 passed the Senate with unanimous consent. The full text of the bill as passed can be found here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r111:2:./temp/~r111TfCptm::

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives and is currently sitting in the House Committee on the Judiciary.

PEAR supports Senate Bill 1376, the bill to restore immunization and sibling age exemptions for children adopted by United States citizens under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. This act allows waivers of the immigration immunization requirements for children adopted from Hague partner countries. It also allows children up to the age of 18 to be adopted and admitted into the US if they are siblings of previously adopted children. This bill addresses oversights in the drafting of the Hague Regulations and brings those regulations into parity with existing international adoption law and policy on immunization waivers and sibling adoptions in non-Hague programs.

We encourage prospective and adoptive parents to read the bill and actively support this legislation.

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Legislative Update: S. 1376: International Adoption Simplification Act

On July 14, 2010, Senator Leahy from Committee on the Judiciary filed the Committee's written report on the International Adoption Simplificiation Act. The report, No. 111-220 can be found on the Library of Congress website: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/T?&report=sr220&dbname=111&

PEAR supports Senate Bill 1376, the bill to restore immunization and sibling age exemptions for children adopted by United States citizens under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. This act allows waivers of the immigration immunization requirements for children adopted from Hague partner countries. It also allows children up to the age of 18 to be adopted and admitted into the US if they are siblings of previously adopted children. This bill addresses oversights in the drafting of the Hague Regulations and brings those regulations into parity with existing international adoption law and policy on immunization waivers and sibling adoptions in non-Hague programs.

We encourage prospective and adoptive parents to read the report and actively support this legislation.

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/