U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) on Aug. 28 introduced bipartisan legislation to establish a multi-country advisory committee that the U.S. Secretary of State would consult regarding intercountry adoptions.
“Millions of children around the world are in need of permanent, loving homes,” Sen. Blunt said. “Ensuring intercountry adoption remains a viable option for these children and the families eager to adopt them is critical.”
The Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee Act of 2018, S. 3396, specifically would authorize the Secretary of State to create the Intercountry Adoption Advisory Committee within the department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs that would focus on coordinating the development, refinement and implementation of policy and programs on intercountry adoption, according to the text of the bill in the congressional record.
Establishing this committee, said Sen. Blunt, “will help ensure the Secretary of State has the information necessary to develop the right policies and programs to promote intercountry adoption.”
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the bill’s main sponsor, joined Sen. Blunt to introduce S. 3396, which has four cosponsors. The pair co-chair the Congressional Adoption Caucus.
In their caucus capacities, Sens. Blunt and Klobuchar sent a letter in June urging the Bureau of Consular Affairs to guarantee that dialogue was maintained between Department of State, Congress and adoption service providers, and that advice would be sought from stakeholders in the adoption community to develop and implement improved policies.
“I appreciate the support and counsel the adoption community has provided, and continues to provide, to the Congressional Coalition on Adoption as we continue our work to help every child find the safe, stable home they deserve,” Sen. Blunt said.
Sen. Klobuchar noted that S. 3396 would help make the international adoption process “easier, not harder.”
“This bipartisan legislation will ensure that all those in the adoption community have a voice, including adoptive parents, adoptees, and social workers, and that together, the best practices can be developed to find every child a home,” she said.
S. 3396 has been referred to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee for consideration.