1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Adoption Opportunities Reauthorization Act of 2019”.
Adoption Opportunities Reauthorization Act of 2019
A BILL
To expand adoption opportunities.
2. Congressional findings and declaration of purpose
Section 201 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5111) is amended—
in the section, heading, by striking “and declaration of purpose” and inserting “, declaration of purpose, and definition”;
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (1), by striking “2009, some 424,000” and inserting “2018, some 437,000”;
in paragraph (3)—
by striking subparagraphs (A) through (D); and
by striking “services because the children entering foster care—” and inserting “services;”;
in paragraph (6)—
in subparagraph (A), by striking “2009, there were 115,000” and inserting “2018, there were 125,000”;
in subparagraph (C)—
in clause (i), by striking “2009” and inserting “2018”; and
in clause (ii), by striking “more than 8” and inserting “less than 8”; and
in subparagraph (D)—
in clause (i)—
by striking “25 percent” and inserting “17 percent”; and
by striking “2009” and inserting “2018”; and
in clause (ii)—
by striking “30 percent” and inserting “22 percent”; and
by striking “2009” and inserting “2018”; and
in paragraph (9)(B), by striking “or institutions”;
in subsection (b)—
in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
by inserting “children with disabilities, underserved or overrepresented children and youth in the child welfare system,” after “minority children,”; and
by striking “including disabled infants with life-threatening conditions,”;
in paragraph (2)(C), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;
in paragraph (3), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(4) support the development and implementation of evidence-based and evidence-informed post-legal adoption services for families that adopt children in order to increase permanency.”
by adding at the end the following:
“(c) Definition—In this Act, the term child with special needs means a child with special needs as defined in section 473(c) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 673(c)).”
3. Information and services
Section 203 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5113) is amended—
in subsection (a)—
by striking “such purposes, including services” and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting the following: “such purposes, including—
“(1) services to facilitate the adoption of older children, minority children, children with disabilities, underserved or overrepresented children and youth in the child welfare system, and children with special needs;
“(2) services to families considering adoption of children with special needs; and
“(3) post-legal adoption services for families to provide permanent and caring home environments for children who would benefit from adoption.”
in subsection (b)—
in paragraph (1)—
by striking “on adoption, and” and inserting “on adoption, including the evaluation of training and accessible education materials;”; and
by inserting “; and update such training and education materials, as appropriate” before the semicolon;
in paragraph (2), by inserting “children with disabilities, underserved or overrepresented children and youth in the child welfare system,” after “minority children,”;
in paragraph (7), by inserting “children with disabilities, underserved or overrepresented children and youth in the child welfare system,” after “minority children,”;
in paragraph (9)(D)—
by inserting “and disseminate” after “identify”; and
by striking “termination” and inserting “dissolution, and increase permanency, including related to pre- and post-legal adoption services”;
in paragraph (10)(A)—
by redesignating clauses (iii) through (ix) as clauses (iv) through (x), respectively;
in clause (ii)—
by inserting “, and finding such family and relatives willing to adopt such child to improve permanency” before the semicolon; and
by striking “such children, including developing” and inserting “such children;
“(iii) developing”
in clause (vi), as so redesignated, by inserting “, including such groups for individuals who may enter into kinship caregiver arrangements” before the semicolon;
in clause (ix), as so redesignated, by inserting “, including such groups for kinship caregiver arrangements” before the semicolon; and
in clause (x), as so redesignated, by striking “this Act” and inserting “this title”; and
in paragraph (11)—
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting “Tribes or Tribal organizations,” after “States,”;
in subparagraph (B), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;
in subparagraph (C), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(D) procedures to identify and support potential kinship care arrangements.”
in subsection (c)—
in paragraph (1), by striking “post legal adoption” and inserting “post-legal adoption”; and
in paragraph (2)(G), by inserting “, including such parents, children, and siblings in kinship care arrangements” before the semicolon;
in subsection (d)—
in the subsection heading, by inserting “and improving post-Legal adoption support services” after “care”;
in paragraph (1), by inserting “including through the improvement of post-legal adoption services,” after “free for adoption,”;
in paragraph (2)—
in subparagraph (A)—
in clause (i), by inserting “, including plans to assess the need for and provide, as appropriate, post-legal adoption services in order to improve permanency” before the semicolon;
in clause (ii), by inserting “children with disabilities, underserved or overrepresented children and youth in the child welfare system,” after “minority children,”;
in clause (iii), by striking “programs and methods” and inserting “programs supported under this subsection, including methods”; and
in clause (iv), by striking “section 473 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 673)” and inserting “subpart B of part B of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629 et seq.) and part E of such title IV (42 U.S.C. 670 et seq.)”; and
in subparagraph (B)—
in clause (i), by inserting “children with disabilities, underserved or overrepresented children and youth in the child welfare system,” after “minority children,”; and
in clause (ii), by striking “successful” and inserting “evidence-based and evidence-informed”; and
in paragraph (3)(A), by striking “Payments under this subsection shall begin during fiscal year 1989.”; and
in subsection (e)(1), by inserting “, such as through the use of an electronic interstate case processing system” before the period.
4. Reports
The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 is amended by striking section 204 (42 U.S.C. 5114) and inserting the following:
“204. Reports
“(a) Report on the outcomes of individuals who were adopted from foster care—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Adoption Opportunities Reauthorization Act of 2019, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives a report on research regarding the outcomes of individuals who were adopted from foster care as children.
“(b) Report on adoption disruption and dissolution—No later than 18 months after the date of enactment of the Adoption Opportunities Reauthorization Act of 2019, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives a report on children who enter into foster care under the supervision of a State after prior finalization of an adoption or legal guardianship, including cases involving adoption of foster youth. The Secretary shall include in such report information, to the extent that such information is available, regarding the incidence of adoption disruption and dissolution and factors associated with such circumstances, including whether affected individuals received pre- or post-legal adoption services.”
5. Authorization of appropriations
Section 205 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 5115) is amended—
in subsection (a), by striking “$40,000,000” and all that follows through “2015” and inserting “such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2020 through 2026”; and
in subsection (b), by striking “30 percent” and inserting “35 percent”.