---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 14912"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "14912"
heading: "Responsibilities of the Secretary of State"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/14912"
units:
  - "Chapter 143 — Intercountry Adoptions"
  - "Subchapter I — United States Central Authority"
---

# §14912. Responsibilities of the Secretary of State

- (a) **Liaison responsibilities—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/14902.md?p=16) shall have responsibility for—
  - (1) liaison with the [central authorities](/usc/42/14902.md?p=7) of [other Convention countries](/usc/42/14902.md?p=13); and
  - (2) the coordination of activities under the [Convention](/usc/42/14902.md?p=9) by [persons](/usc/42/14902.md?p=14) subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
- (b) **Information exchange—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/14902.md?p=16) shall be responsible for—
  - (1) providing the [central authorities](/usc/42/14902.md?p=7) of [other Convention countries](/usc/42/14902.md?p=13) with information concerning—
    - (A) [accredited agencies](/usc/42/14902.md?p=1) and [approved persons](/usc/42/14902.md?p=5), [agencies](/usc/42/14902.md?p=4) and [persons](/usc/42/14902.md?p=14) whose accreditation or approval has been suspended or canceled, and [agencies](/usc/42/14902.md?p=4) and [persons](/usc/42/14902.md?p=14) who have been temporarily or permanently debarred from accreditation or approval;
    - (B) Federal and [State](/usc/42/14902.md?p=17) laws relevant to implementing the [Convention](/usc/42/14902.md?p=9); and
    - (C) any other matters necessary and appropriate for implementation of the [Convention](/usc/42/14902.md?p=9);
  - (2) not later than the date of the entry into force of the [Convention](/usc/42/14902.md?p=9) for the United States (pursuant to Article 46(2)(a) of the [Convention](/usc/42/14902.md?p=9)) and at least once during each subsequent calendar year, providing to the [central authority](/usc/42/14902.md?p=7) of all [other Convention countries](/usc/42/14902.md?p=13) a notice requesting the [central authority](/usc/42/14902.md?p=7) of each such country to specify any requirements of such country regarding adoption, including restrictions on the eligibility of [persons](/usc/42/14902.md?p=14) to adopt, with respect to which information on the prospective adoptive parent or parents in the United States would be relevant;
  - (3) making responses to notices under [paragraph (2)](#b-2) available to—
    - (A) [accredited agencies](/usc/42/14902.md?p=1) and [approved persons](/usc/42/14902.md?p=5); and
    - (B) other [persons](/usc/42/14902.md?p=14) or entities performing home studies under [section 14921(b)(1) of this title](/usc/42/14921.md?p=b-1);
  - (4) ensuring the provision of a background report (home study) on prospective adoptive parent or parents (pursuant to the requirements of [section 14923(b)(1)(A)(ii) of this title](/usc/42/14923.md?p=b-1-A-ii)), through the [central authority](/usc/42/14902.md?p=7) of each child’s country of origin, to the court having jurisdiction over the adoption (or, in the case of a child emigrating to the United States for the purpose of adoption, to the competent authority in the child’s country of origin with responsibility for approving the child’s emigration) in adequate time to be considered prior to the granting of such adoption or approval;
  - (5) providing Federal [agencies](/usc/42/14902.md?p=4), [State](/usc/42/14902.md?p=17) courts, and [accredited agencies](/usc/42/14902.md?p=1) and [approved persons](/usc/42/14902.md?p=5) with an identification of [Convention countries](/usc/42/14902.md?p=12) and [persons](/usc/42/14902.md?p=14) authorized to perform functions under the [Convention](/usc/42/14902.md?p=9) in each such country; and
  - (6) facilitating the transmittal of other appropriate information to, and among, [central authorities](/usc/42/14902.md?p=7), Federal and [State agencies](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=12) (including [State](/usc/42/14902.md?p=17) courts), and [accredited agencies](/usc/42/14902.md?p=1) and [approved persons](/usc/42/14902.md?p=5).
- (c) **Accreditation and approval responsibilities—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/14902.md?p=16) shall carry out the functions prescribed by the [Convention](/usc/42/14902.md?p=9) with respect to the accreditation of [agencies](/usc/42/14902.md?p=4) and the approval of [persons](/usc/42/14902.md?p=14) to provide [adoption services](/usc/42/14902.md?p=3) in the United States in cases subject to the [Convention](/usc/42/14902.md?p=9) as provided in subchapter II. Such functions may not be delegated to any other Federal [agency](/usc/42/14902.md?p=4).
- (d) **Additional responsibilities—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/14902.md?p=16)—
  - (1) shall monitor individual [Convention adoption](/usc/42/14902.md?p=10) cases involving United States citizens; and
  - (2) may facilitate interactions between such citizens and officials of [other Convention countries](/usc/42/14902.md?p=13) on matters relating to the [Convention](/usc/42/14902.md?p=9) in any case in which an [accredited agency](/usc/42/14902.md?p=1) or [approved person](/usc/42/14902.md?p=5) is unwilling or unable to provide such facilitation.
- (e) **Establishment of registry—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/14902.md?p=16) and the [Attorney General](/usc/42/14902.md?p=6) shall jointly establish a case registry of all adoptions involving immigration of children into the United States and emigration of children from the United States, regardless of whether the adoption occurs under the [Convention](/usc/42/14902.md?p=9). Such registry shall permit tracking of pending cases and retrieval of information on both pending and closed cases.
- (f) **Methods of performing responsibilities—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/14902.md?p=16) may—
  - (1) authorize public or private entities to perform appropriate [central authority functions](/usc/42/14902.md?p=8) for which the [Secretary](/usc/42/14902.md?p=16) is responsible, pursuant to regulations or under agreements published in the Federal Register; and
  - (2) carry out [central authority functions](/usc/42/14902.md?p=8) through grants to, or contracts with, any individual or public or private entity, except as may be otherwise specifically provided in this chapter.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 106–279, title I, § 102, Oct. 6, 2000, 114 Stat. 828.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Subchapter II, referred to in subsec. (c), was in the original “title II”, meaning title II of Pub. L. 106–279, Oct. 6, 2000, 114 Stat. 830, which enacted subchapter II of this chapter and amended section 622 of this title. For complete classification of title II to the Code, see Tables.

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (f)(2), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 106–279, Oct. 6, 2000, 114 Stat. 825, known as the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 14901 of this title and Tables.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 6, 2000, with transition rule, see section 505(a)(1), (b) of Pub. L. 106–279, set out as an Effective Dates; Transition Rule note under section 14901 of this title.