Proposed Anti-Family Legislation

The National Council for Adoption (NCFA), The American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (AAAA), the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), the Joint Council on International Children's Services, Voice for Adoption, and Child Trends have together persuaded legislators to support the following sample of pro-adoption bills in the 111th congress, many of which directly attack the sanctity of natural family connections.

Note how many times "abortion prevention" is stated or inferred. Also noted are ACTIONS that we can take.

S. 324,
Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom's Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act' or the `Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act.
See also H.R. 20.    Sen. Robert Menendez, NJ    A bill to provide for research on, and services for individuals with, postpartum depression and psychosis.     Introduced 1/26/2009. Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. 7 cosponsors.

[NOTE: The sponsors of this bill need to be made aware of the LIFELONG depression that results from losing a child to adoption.]


S. 354,
The Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2009.
See also H.R. 626.    Sen. Jim Webb, VA    To provide that 4 of the 12 weeks of parental leave made available to a Federal employee may be paid leave, including for an adoption placement.    Introduced 1/29/2009. Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. 17 cosponsors.

S. 410,
The Resource Family Recruitment and Retention Act of 2009. 
Sen. Blanche Lincoln, AR    A bill to amend part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to ensure States follow best policies and practices for supporting and retaining foster parents and to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States to improve the empowerment, leadership, support, training, recruitment, and retention of foster care, kinship care, and adoptive parents.    Introduced 2/11/2009. Referred to the Finance Committee. 10 cosponsors.

S.722,
The Taxpayer Certainty and Relief Act of 2009.
    Sen. Max Baucus, MT    A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for permanent alternative minimum tax relief, middle class tax relief, and estate tax relief, and to permanently extend certain expiring provision, including the adoption tax credit.    Introduced 3/26/2009. Referred to the Finance Committee. 2 cosponsors.
What about "certainty" and "relief" for families in crisis?

NOTE that this bill INCLUDES PROVISIONS MAKING THE ADOPTION EXPNSE TAX CREDIT AND THE EXCLUSION-FROM-INCOME FOR ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PROGRAMS PERMANANT!



S. 735,
Protecting Incentives for the Adoption of Children with Special Needs Act of 2009.
See also H.R. 1840.
    Sen. Max Baucus, MT    A bill to ensure States receive adoption incentive payments for fiscal year 2008 in accordance with the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.    Introduced 3/30/2009. Referred to the Finance Committee. 1 cosponsor. Passed the Senate 4/2/2009; passed the House 4/29/2009. Became PL 111-20 on 5/20/2009.
This bill needs to be reviewed. While ii uses "special needs" in the title, are the funds limited to that use?

S. 938,
The White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010 Act.
See also H.R. 618.    Sen. Mary Landrieu, LA    To require the President to call a White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010.    Introduced 4/30/2009. Referred to the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee. 11 cosponsors.
Something to keep a sharp eye on!

S. 939,
The Protecting Adoption and Promoting Responsible Fatherhood Act of 2009.    Sen. Mary Landrieu, LA    To establish national and State putative father registries, to make grants to States to promote permanent families for children and responsible fatherhood, and for other purposes.    Introduced 4/30/2009. Referred to the Finance Committee. 0 cosponsors.
NOTE: This bill is to CREATE A NATIONAL DATABASE OF STATE PUTATIVE FATHER REGISTRIES.  It has "strong support" from AAAA and NCFA.

S. 986,
Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009.
    Sen. Mary Landrieu, LA    A bill to support the establishment or expansion and operation of programs using a network of public and private community entities to provide mentoring for children in foster care.    Introduced 5/6/2009. Referred to the Finance Committee. 2 cosponsors.

S. 1032,
The Pregnant Women Support Act.
Also see H.R. 2035.    Sen. Robert Casey, PA    To provide for programs that reduce abortions, help women bear healthy children, and support new parents.     Introduced 5/13/2009. Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 1 cosponsor.
This is newspeak for increasing adoptions.

S. 1286,
The Keeping Families Safe Act.    Sen. John D. Rockefeller, IV, WV    To eliminate the requirement that, to be eligible for foster care maintenance payments, a child would have been eligible for aid under the former program of Aid to Families with Dependent Children at the time of removal from the home.    Introduced 6/18/2009. Referred to the Finance Committee. 0 cosponsors.

S. 1359,
Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act or the `FACE Act.'
Also see H.R. 3110.    Sen. Mary Landrieu, LA
    A bill to provide United States citizenship for children adopted from outside the United States, and for other purposes. Introduced 6/25/2009. Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. 1 cosponsor.

S. 1376    Sen. Amy Klobuchar, MN    A bill to restore immunization and sibling age exemptions for children adopted by United States citizens under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption to allow their admission to the United States.     Introduced 6/25/2009. Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. 4 cosponsors.

S. 1458,
The Families for Orphans Act.
See also H.R. 3070.    Sen. Mary Landrieu, LA    To encourage the development and implementation of a comprehensive, global strategy for the preservation and reunification of families and the provision of permanent parental care for orphans, and for other purposes.    Introduced 7/16/2009. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. 1 cosponsor.
          
H.R. 2,
The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009.
    Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ-6    To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to extend and improve the Children's Health Insurance Program, including provisions that affect adopted children.    Introduced 1/13/2009. Referred to the House Energy and Commerce, House Ways and Means, and House Education and Labor Committees. 43 cosponsors. Became PL 111-3 on 2/4/2009.
Note that it does not cover children with medical and other special needs who remain within their families,

H.R. 20,   The Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act.
Also see S. 324.    Rep. Bobby Rush, IL-1    To provide for research on, and services for individuals with, postpartum depression and psychosis.    Introduced 1/6/2009. Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. 15 cosponsors. Passed the House 3/30/2009. H. Rpt 111-48.
Will this include help for post adoption epression and PTSD?

H.R. 213,
The Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009.
    Rep. Joe Wilson, SC-2    To repeal the sunset of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 with respect to the expansion of the adoption credit and adoption assistance programs.    Introduced 1/6/2009. Referred to the Ways and Means Committee. 94 cosponsors.

H.R. 221,
The Adoption Information Act.
    Rep. Robert Wittman, VA-1    To require assurances that certain family planning service projects and programs will provide pamphlets containing the contact information of adoption centers.    Introduced 1/6/2009. Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 0 cosponsors.
NOTE: All the efforts to "reduce abortions" and provide adoption information.

H.R. 605,
The Pregnant Women Support Act.
    Rep. Lincoln Davis, TN-4    To provide for programs that reduce the need for abortion, help women bear healthy children, and support new parents, including expanding and making refundable the adoption tax credit.    Introduced 1/16/2009. Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and others. 6 cosponsors.
What is the "refundable adoption tax credit?"  I will be seeking an answer.

H.R. 618,
The White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010 Act. See also S. 938.
    Rep. Chaka Fattah, PA-2    To require the President to call a White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010.    Introduced 1/21/2009. Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor. 49 cosponsors.

H.R. 626,
The Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2009.     
See also S. 354.    Rep. Carolyn Maloney, NY-14    To provide that 4 of the 12 weeks of parental leave made available to a Federal employee may be paid leave, including for an adoption placement.    Introduced 1/22/2009. Referred to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. 55 cosponsors. 6/4/2009 passed House. House Rpt. 111-116, part 1.

H.R. 636,
The Positive Alternatives Act.    Rep. Michele Bachmann, MN-6    To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to allow funds provided under the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families to be used for alternative-to-abortion services, including adoption counseling.     Introduced 1/22/2009. Referred to the Ways and Means Committee. 31 cosponsors.

H.R. 643,
The Care for Life Act of 2009.    Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, NE-1    To encourage and assist women to carry their children to live birth by providing services, during and after pregnancy, that will alleviate the financial, social, emotional, and other difficulties that may otherwise lead to abortion. It also expands and makes refundable the adoption tax credit.    Introduced 1/22/2009. Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and others.1 cosponsor.

H.R. 1105,
The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009.
    Rep. David Obey, WI-7    Making omnibus appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, including for the Adoption Assistance, Awareness, Opportunities, and Incentive programs.    Introduced 2/2/3/2009. Referred to the House Appropriation and Budget Committees. Became PL 111-8 on 3/11/2009.

H.R. 1505,
The Birth Parent Assistance Act.    Rep. Jean Schmidt, OH-2    To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide services for birth parents who have placed a child for adoption, and for other purposes.    Introduced 3/12/2009. Referred to the House Education and Labor Committee. 36 cosponsor.

H.R. 1840, The Protecting Incentives for the Adoption of Children with Special Needs Act of 2009.     See also S. 735.    Rep. Dave Camp, MI-4    To ensure States receive adoption incentive payments for fiscal year 2008 in accordance with the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.    Introduced 4/1/2009. Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. 1 cosponsor. Passed the House 4/29/2009. Became PL 111-20 on 5/20/2009.

H.R. 2035,
The Pregnant Women Support Act.
Also see S.1032    Rep. Lincoln Davis, TN-4    To provide for programs that reduce abortions, help women bear healthy children, and support new parents.     Introduced 4/22/2009. Referred to numerous committees. 39 cosponsors.

H.R. 2072,
The School Choice for Foster Kids Act.
    Rep. Michele Bachmann, MN-6    To authorize States to use funds provided for the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program to provide vouchers to cover tuition costs at private schools, and transportation costs to and from public schools, of foster children of all ages.    Introduced 4/23/2009. Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. 23 cosponsors.

H.R. 2339,
Family Income to Respond to Significant Transitions Act.
    Rep. Lynn Woolsley, CA-6    To establish a program that supports the efforts of States to provide partial or full wage replacement to new parents, so that the new parents are able to spend time with a new infant or newly adopted child, and to other employees, and for other purposes.    Introduced 5/7/2009. Referred to the Education and Labor Committee. 20 cosponsors.

H.R. 2524,
Dave Thomas Adoption Act of 2009.
    Rep. Peter King, NY-3    To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow penalty-free withdrawals from individual retirement plans for adoption expenses.    Introduced 5/20/2009. Referred to the Ways and Means Committee. 2 cosponsors.

H.R. 3070,
Families for Orphans Act of 2009.
See also S. 1458.
    Rep. Diane E. Watson, CA-33    To encourage the development and implementation of a comprehensive, global strategy for the preservation and reunification of families and the provision of permanent parental care for orphans, and for other purposes.
    Introduced 6/26/2009. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. 4 cosponsor.

H.R. 3110,
Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act or the `FACE Act.'
Also see S. 1359.    Rep. Diane E. Watson, CA-33    A bill to provide United States citizenship for children adopted from outside the United States, and for other purposes.
    Introduced 6/26/2009. Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. 3 cosponsor.

H.R. 3329,
The Look-back Elimination Act.    Rep. John Lewis, GA-5    To eliminate the requirement that, to be eligible for foster care maintenance payments, a child would have been eligible for aid under the former program of Aid to Families with Dependent Children at the time of removal from the home.    Introduced 7/24/2009. Referred to the Ways and Means Committee. 8 cosponsors.

H.Res. 358
    Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, FL-5    A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month by promoting national awareness of adoption and the children in foster care awaiting families, celebrating children and families involved in adoption, recognizing current programs and efforts designed to promote adoption, and encouraging people in the United States to seek improved safety, permanency, and well-being for all children    Introduced 4/23/2009. Referred to the Ways and Means Committee.
      
H.Res. 391    Rep. Jim McDermott, WA-7    A resolution recognizing May as "National Foster Care Month" and acknowledging that the House of Representatives should continue to work to improve the Nation's foster care system.    Introduced 4/30/2009. Referred to the Ways and Means Committee. On 5/6/2009 passed the House.