---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 9112"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "9112"
heading: "Standards and assistance"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/9112"
units:
  - "Chapter 98 — International Child Abduction Prevention and Return"
  - "Subchapter I — Department of State Actions"
---

# §9112. Standards and assistance


The Secretary of State shall—

- (1) ensure that United States diplomatic and consular missions abroad—
  - (A) maintain a consistent reporting standard with respect to [abduction](/usc/22/9101.md?p=2) and [access cases](/usc/22/9101.md?p=4);
  - (B) designate at least 1 senior official in each such mission, at the discretion of the Chief of Mission, to assist [left-behind parents](/usc/22/9101.md?p=15) from the United States who are visiting such country or otherwise seeking to resolve [abduction](/usc/22/9101.md?p=2) or [access cases](/usc/22/9101.md?p=4); and
  - (C) monitor developments in [abduction](/usc/22/9101.md?p=2) and [access cases](/usc/22/9101.md?p=4); and
- (2) develop and implement written strategic plans for engagement with any Convention or [non-Convention country](/usc/22/9101.md?p=16) in which there are 5 or more cases of international [child](/usc/22/9101.md?p=11) [abduction](/usc/22/9101.md?p=2).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 113–150, title I, § 102, Aug. 8, 2014, 128 Stat. 1815.)