Encourages the adoption of these children from countries characterized by need or extreme poverty and political or social instability.
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services should provide: (1) a 60-day extension of approval for U.S. citizens directly affected by the cessation of travel authorization by the China Center for Adoption Affairs; and (2) immediate notification to the families affected by this extension.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 304 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 304
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding United
States citizens adopting children from the People's Republic of China.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 26, 2003
Mrs. Northup submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding United
States citizens adopting children from the People's Republic of China.
Whereas United States citizens adopt more children from abroad than the citizens
of all other countries combined;
Whereas the number of foreign children adopted annually by United States
citizens has more than doubled in the last decade from 6,472 to 20,099;
Whereas, over the previous 5 years, twenty-three thousand ninety-four children,
the largest number of international adoptions in the United States are
from China;
Whereas U.S. citizens are required by 8 C.F.R. 204.3(a) to obtain an I-171
approval issued by the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of
Immigration and Customs Services (formerly Immigration and
Naturalization Services) in order to seek adoption of a child from
China;
Whereas the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs, due to the Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome epidemic, suspended the referral of orphans and
travel to China to complete adoptions on May 15, 2003, and resumed said
activities on June 24, 2003;
Whereas the eighteen-month approval of I-171 forms has expired or will soon
expire for adoptive individuals and families during the interim period
that the Chinese government ceased the issuance of authorization for
travel to these U.S. citizens who had previously obtained a referral of
an orphan as well as the new referral of orphans for adoption; and
Whereas the time and costs associated with the process for I-171 approval is
extensive and may prove prohibitive for U.S. citizens in the final days
of their adoption procedure: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That
(a) the House of Representatives--
(1) commends the efforts of United States citizens seeking
to provide a home for orphan children; and
(2) encourages the adoption of these children from
countries characterized by need or extreme poverty and
political or social instability.
(b) It is the Sense of the House of Representatives that the
Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the Bureau of
Citizenship and Immigration Services should provide--
(1) a 60-day extension of approval for U.S. citizens
directly affected by the cessation of travel authorization by
the China Center for Adoption Affairs; and
(2) immediate notification to the families affected by this
extension.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.
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