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119-s-3678119th Congress

Voluntary Limited Accreditation for Adoption Services Act

Sponsored By: Senator Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would add a new _limited accreditation option_ to the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 for certain intercountry adoption services. It focuses on three narrow services: child background studies in outgoing cases, home studies for incoming prospective parents, and post-placement monitoring and reports.

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  • Prospective adoptive parents: Could have more accredited providers available for home studies, child background checks, and post-placement reports, expanding choices where full accreditation is a barrier.
  • Adoption service providers: Would be able to seek a limited-accreditation that covers only background studies, home studies, or post-placement monitoring, and must indicate whether they seek full or limited accreditation.
  • Accrediting entities and partners: The bill underscores the role of accrediting bodies in oversight, enforcement, and data collection, and aims to preserve options that meet some foreign countries' and families' preference for accredited providers.

The bill would take effect 90 days after enactment.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Optional accreditation for adoption services

If enacted, this bill would create a voluntary limited accreditation for some adoption service providers. Limited accreditation would let a provider do one or more of three tasks: background studies on children in outgoing cases and reports; home studies on prospective adoptive parents in incoming cases and reports; and monitoring after placement until adoption, including post-placement reports. Applicants for initial accreditation, renewal, or approval of a person would have to say whether they seek full accreditation/approval or limited accreditation. The bill would also say providers would not be required to hold limited accreditation to perform home studies for intercountry adoptions. It would keep the current legal definition of "adoption service" unchanged. The bill would add the accreditation rule to exemptions from the Paperwork Reduction Act. These changes would take effect 90 days after enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]

MS • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 1/15/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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