Library / Laws / 113th / hr / H.R. 1951 / Introduced in House
I
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1951
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 13, 2013
Mr. Smith of New
Jersey (for himself and Mr.
Moran) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign
Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on
Ways and Means,
Financial Services,
the Judiciary, and
Oversight and Government
Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To ensure compliance with the 1980 Hague Convention on
the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction by countries with which the
United States enjoys reciprocal obligations, to establish procedures for the
prompt return of children abducted to other countries, and for other
purposes.
1.
Short title and table of
contents
(a)
Short
title
This Act may be cited
as the Sean and David Goldman
International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of
2013.
(b)
Table of
contents
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings; sense of Congress; purposes.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Funding.
Title I—Department of State actions
Sec. 101. Annual report.
Sec. 102. Standards and assistance.
Sec. 103. Memorandum of Understanding.
Sec. 104. Notification of congressional
representatives.
Title II—Presidential actions
Sec. 201. Presidential actions in response to unresolved
cases.
Sec. 202. Presidential actions in response to patterns of
noncooperation in cases of international child abductions.
Sec. 203. Consultations.
Sec. 204. Report to Congress.
Sec. 205. Presidential actions.
Sec. 206. Effects on existing contracts.
Sec. 207. Presidential waiver.
Sec. 208. Publication in Federal Register.
Sec. 209. Termination of Presidential actions.
Sec. 210. United States assistance.
Sec. 211. Multilateral assistance.
Sec. 212. Amendment to generalized system of preferences
eligibility for generalized system of preferences.
2.
Findings; sense
of Congress; purposes
(a)
Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1) Sean Goldman, a United States citizen and
resident of New Jersey, was abducted from the United States in 2004 and
separated from his father, David Goldman, who spent nearly six years battling
for the return of his son from Brazil before Sean was finally returned to Mr.
Goldman’s custody on December 24, 2009.
(2) The Department of State’s Office of
Children’s Issues, which serves as the Central Authority of the United States
for the purposes of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of
International Child Abduction, has received thousands of requests since 2007
for assistance in the return to the United States of children who have been
abducted by a parent or other legal guardian to another country. For a variety
of reasons reflecting the significant obstacles to the recovery of abducted
children, as well as the legal and factual complexity involving such cases, not
all cases are reported to the Central Authority of the United States.
(3) The number of outgoing international child
abductions reported to the Central Authority of the United States has increased
substantially since 2006.
(4) Only about half of the children abducted
from the United States to countries with which the United States enjoys
reciprocal obligations under the Hague Abduction Convention are returned to the
United States.
(5) The United States
and Convention countries have expressed their desire, through the Hague
Abduction Convention, to protect children internationally from the
harmful effects of their wrongful removal or retention and to establish
procedures to ensure their prompt return to the State of their habitual
residence, as well as to secure protection for rights of
access..
(6) Compliance by the United States and
Convention countries depends on the actions of their designated central
authorities, the performance of their judiciaries as reflected in the legal
process and decisions rendered to enforce or effectuate the Hague Abduction
Convention, and the ability and willingness of their law enforcement to insure
the swift enforcement of orders rendered pursuant to the Hague Abduction
Convention.
(7) The Central Authority of the United States
reports that nearly 40 percent of abduction cases and access cases involve
children taken from the United States to countries with which the United States
does not have Hague Abduction Convention obligations or other agreements
relating to the resolution of abduction cases and access cases.
(8) According to the
Department of State’s April 2010 Report on Compliance with the Hague Convention
on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, parental child
abduction jeopardizes the child and has substantial long-term consequences for
both the child and the left-behind parent..
(9) Abducted children
are at risk of serious emotional and psychological problems and have been found
to experience anxiety, eating problems, nightmares, mood swings, sleep
disturbances, aggressive behavior, resentment, guilt and fearfulness, and as
adults may struggle with identity issues, personal relationships, and
parenting.
(10) Left-behind
parents may encounter substantial psychological and emotional problems, and few
have the extraordinary financial resources necessary to pursue individual civil
or criminal remedies in both the United States and a foreign country, even
where available, or to engage in repeated foreign travel to attempt to procure
the return of their children by evoking diplomatic and humanitarian
remedies.
(11) Left-behind
parents who are military parents may be unable to leave their military duties
to pursue multinational litigation or take leave to attend multiple court
proceedings, and foreign authorities may not schedule proceedings to
accommodate such duties.
(b)
Sense of
Congress
It is the sense of Congress that the United States
should set a strong example for Convention countries in the timely location and
return of abducted children in the United States whose habitual residence is
not the United States.
(c)
Purposes
The
purposes of this Act are to—
(1) protect children
whose habitual residence is the United States from the harmful effects of
abduction and to assist left-behind parents to have access to their abducted
child in a safe and predictable manner, wherever the child is located, while an
abduction case is pending;
(2) provide
left-behind parents, including military parents, their advocates, and judges
the information they need to enhance the resolution of abduction cases and
access cases through established legal procedures, the tools for assessing the
risk of abduction and denial of rights of access, and the practical means for
overcoming obstacles to recovering an abducted child;
(3) establish
measured, effective, and predictable actions to be undertaken by the President
on behalf of abducted children whose habitual residence is the United States at
the time of the abduction;
(4) promote an
international consensus that it is in the interest of children to have any
issues related to their care and custody determined in the country of their
habitual residence;
(5) provide the
necessary training for officials of the United States Armed Forces and the
Department of Defense to establish policies and provide services to military
parents that address the unique circumstances of abductions and violations of
rights of access that may occur with regard to military dependent children;
and
(6) encourage the
effective implementation of international mechanisms, particularly those
established pursuant to the Hague Abduction Convention, to achieve reciprocity
in the resolution of abductions and to protect children from the harmful
effects of an abduction.
3.
Definitions
In this Act:
(1)
Abducted
child
The term abducted child means a child who is
the victim of an abduction.
(2)
Abduction
The term abduction
means—
(A) the alleged
wrongful removal of a child from the child’s country of habitual
residence;
(B) the alleged wrongful retention of a child
outside the child’s country of habitual residence; or
(C) the alleged
wrongful removal or retention of a military dependent child from the exercise
of rights of custody of a military parent.
(3)
Abduction
case
The term abduction
case means a case involving an application filed with the Central
Authority of the United States by a left-behind parent for the resolution of an
abduction.
(4)
Access
case
The term access case means a case involving an
application filed with the Central Authority of the United States by a
left-behind parent for the establishment of rights of access.
(5)
Annual
Report
The term Annual Report means the Annual
Report on International Child Abduction required under section 101.
(6)
Application
The
term application means—
(A) in the case of a
Convention country, the application required pursuant to article 8 of the Hague
Abduction Convention;
(B) in the case of an
MOU country, the formal document required pursuant to the provisions of the
applicable MOU to request the return of an abducted child or to request rights
of access, as applicable; and
(C) in the case of a
nonparty country, the formal request by the Central Authority of the United
States to the Central Authority of such country requesting the return of an
abducted child or for rights of access to an abducted child.
(7)
Appropriate
congressional committees
The term appropriate congressional
committees means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
(8)
Central
Authority
The term Central Authority means—
(A) in the case of a
Convention country, the meaning given such term in article 6 of the Hague
Abduction Convention;
(B) in the case of an
MOU country, the official entity designated by the government of the MOU
country within the applicable MOU pursuant to section 103(b)(1) to discharge
the duties imposed on the entity in such MOU; and
(C) in the case of a
nonparty country, the foreign ministry of such country.
(9)
Child
The
term child means an individual who has not attained the age of
16.
(10)
Convention
country
The term Convention country means a country
other than the United States that has ratified, acceded, or succeeded to the
Hague Abduction Convention and with respect to which the United States has
entered into a reciprocal agreement pursuant to the Hague Abduction
Convention.
(11)
Hague Abduction
Convention
The term Hague Abduction Convention means
the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, done at
The Hague on October 25, 1980.
(12)
Left-behind
parent
The term
left-behind parent means—
(A) regarding an
abduction, an individual or entity, either individually or jointly, who alleges
that an abduction has occurred that is in breach of rights of custody—
(i) attributed to such
individual or entity, as applicable; and
(ii) exercised at the
time of the abduction or that would have been exercised but for the abduction;
and
(B) regarding rights
of access, an individual with rights of custody who is requesting establishment
of rights of access or who alleges that rights of access are being
denied.
(13)
Legal
residence
The term legal residence means the
congressional district and State in which an individual either is residing, or
if an individual is residing temporarily outside the United States, the
congressional district and State to which the individual intends to
return.
(14)
Military
dependent child
The term military dependent child
means a child whose habitual residence is the United States according to United
States law even though the child is residing outside the United States with a
military parent.
(15)
Military
parent
The term military parent means an individual
who has rights of custody over a child and who is serving outside the United
States as a member of the United States Armed Forces.
(16)
MOU
The
term MOU means a memorandum of understanding between the United
States and a country that is not a Convention country to resolve abduction
cases and rights of access cases in accordance with section 104.
(17)
MOU
country
The term MOU country means a country with
respect to which the United States has entered into an MOU.
(18)
Nonparty
country
The term
nonparty country means a country that is neither a Convention
country nor an MOU country.
(19)
Pattern of
noncooperation
(A)
In
general
The term pattern of noncooperation means the
persistent failure—
(i) of a
Convention country to implement and abide by the provisions of the Hague
Abduction Convention;
(ii) of
an MOU Country to implement and abide by the provisions of the applicable MOU;
and
(iii) of
a nonparty country to cooperate with the United States to expeditiously resolve
abduction cases and access cases within a reasonable period of time.
(B)
Criteria
Such
persistent failure may be evidenced by one or more of the following
criteria:
(i) The existence of
10 or more unresolved cases.
(ii) The failure of the Central Authority of the
country to fulfill its responsibilities pursuant to the Hague Abduction
Convention or the MOU, as applicable, or in the case of a nonparty country, the
repeated failure of the Central Authority of the country to cooperate with the
Central Authority of the United States to resolve unresolved cases.
(iii) The failure of
the judicial or administrative branch, as applicable, of the national
government of the country to implement and comply with the provisions of the
Hague Abduction Convention or the MOU, as applicable, or in the case of a
nonparty country, the failure of the appropriate judicial or administrative
branch of the national government of the country to expeditiously deliberate
and render a decision in abduction cases and access cases.
(iv) The
failure of law enforcement to locate abducted children or to enforce return
orders or determinations of rights of access rendered by the judicial or
administrative authorities of the national government of the country in
abduction cases or access cases.
(20)
Rights of
access
The term rights
of access means the rights of contact between a child and a left-behind
parent that may arise—
(A) as a provisional
measure while an abduction case is pending; and
(B) by operation of
law or by reason of judicial or administrative determination or by agreement
having legal effect under the law of the country in which the child is
located.
(21)
Rights of
custody
The term rights
of custody means rights of care and custody of an abducted child,
including the right to determine the place of residence of an abducted
child—
(A) attributed to an
individual or entity, either individually or jointly, and
(B) arising by operation of law or by reason of
a judicial or administrative decision, or by reason of an agreement having
legal effect,
under the
law of the country in which the child was an habitual resident immediately
before the abduction.
(22)
Unresolved
abduction case
(A)
In
general
Subject to
subparagraph (B), the term unresolved abduction case means an
abduction case that remains unresolved for a period that exceeds 6 weeks after
the date on which the application for return of the child is submitted for
determination to the judicial or administrative authority, as applicable, in
the country in which the child is located.
(B)
Resolution of
case
An abduction case shall be considered to be resolved
if—
(i) the
child is returned to the country of habitual residence, pursuant to the Hague
Abduction Convention or MOU, if applicable;
(ii) the judicial or administrative branch, as
applicable, of the national government of the country in which the child is
located has implemented and is complying with the provisions of the Hague
Abduction Convention or the MOU, as applicable, and a final determination is
made by such judicial or administrative branch that the child will not be
returned to the country of habitual residence; or
(iii) the child
attains the age of 16.
(23)
Unresolved
access case
(A)
In
general
Subject to subparagraph (B), the term unresolved
access case means an access case that remains unresolved for a period
that exceeds 6 weeks after the date on which the application for the
establishment of rights of access is submitted to the judicial or
administrative authority, as applicable, in the country in which the child is
located.
(B)
Resolution of
case
An access case shall be considered to be resolved if—
(i) rights of access
are established for the left-behind parent and such parent is allowed access to
the child in accordance with such rights;
(ii) a
final determination is made by the appropriate administrative or judicial
entity in the country in which the child is located that the left-behind parent
does not have rights of access and the United States Central Authority
concludes that such determination is in accordance with applicable
international standards; or
(iii) the abduction
case related to the unresolved access case is resolved.
(24)
Unresolved
cases
The term unresolved cases means unresolved
abduction cases and unresolved access cases.
4.
Funding
Amounts necessary to carry out this Act
shall be taken out of the discretionary funds available to the Secretary of
State for each of the fiscal years 2014 through 2018.
I
Department of
State actions
101.
Annual
report
(a)
In
general
Not later than March
31 of each year, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees an Annual Report on International Child
Abduction.
(b)
Contents
Each
Annual Report shall, with respect to the preceding year, include the
following:
(1) For each country
with respect to which there was 1 or more abduction cases:
(A) Whether the country is a Convention
country, an MOU country, or a nonparty country.
(B) The number of
abduction cases and the number of rights of access cases, respectively,
reported.
(C) The number of
abduction cases and the number of access cases, respectively, that are
pending.
(D)
(i) The number of abduction
cases and the number of access cases, respectively, that were pending at any
point for more than 90 days after the date on which the Central Authority of
the United States transmitted the application for each such case to the Central
Authority of such country, and were not submitted by the Central Authority to
the judicial or administrative authority, as applicable, of such country within
the 90-day period.
(ii) The reason for the delay in
submission of each case identified in clause (i) by the Central Authority of
such country to the judicial or administrative authority.
(E) The number of
unresolved abduction cases and unresolved access cases, respectively, and the
length of time each case has been pending.
(F) The number of
unresolved cases in which law enforcement has failed to locate the abducted
child or to enforce a return order or determinations of rights of access
rendered by the judicial or administrative authorities of such country.
(G) The median time required for resolution of
abduction cases and access cases, respectively, to be measured from the date on
which the application with respect to the abduction case or access case is
transmitted by the Central Authority of the United States to the Central
Authority of such country to the date on which the abduction case or access
case is resolved.
(H) The percentage of the total number of
abduction cases and access cases, respectively, resolved.
(I) Detailed
information about each case described in subparagraph (C) and on actions taken
by the Department of State to resolve such case, including the specific actions
taken by the United States chief of mission in such country.
(J) Recommendations to improve resolution of
abduction cases and access cases.
(2) The number of abducted children from the
United States who were returned to the United States from Conventions
countries, MOU countries, and nonparty countries, respectively.
(3) A
list of Convention countries and MOU countries that have failed to comply with
any of their obligations under the Hague Abduction Convention or the MOU, as
applicable, with respect to the resolution of abduction cases and access
cases.
(4) A
list of countries demonstrating a pattern of noncooperation, and a summary of
the criteria on which the determination of a pattern of noncooperation for each
country is based.
(5)
(A) Information on efforts
by the Secretary of State to encourage other countries to become signatories to
the Hague Abduction Convention or to enter into an MOU.
(B) The efforts referred to in
subparagraph (A) shall include efforts to address pending abduction cases and
access cases in such country.
(6) A
description of the efforts of the Secretary of State to encourage Convention
countries and MOU countries to facilitate the work of nongovernmental
organizations within their respective countries that assist left-behind
parents.
(c)
Exception
The
Annual Report shall not include—
(1) the names of
left-behind parents or children involved in abduction cases or access cases;
or
(2) information that
may identify a party involved in an abduction case or access case unless the
party stipulates in writing to the Central Authority of the United States that
such information may be included in the Annual Report.
(d)
Additional
thematic sections
Each Annual Report shall also include—
(1) information on the
number of unresolved cases affecting left-behind parents who are military
parents and a summary of assistance offered to such left-behind parents;
(2) information on the
use of airlines in abductions, including which airlines have been utilized to
carry out an abduction, voluntary airline practices to prevent abductions, and
recommendations for best airline practices to prevent abductions;
(3) information on actions taken by the Central
Authority of the United States to train domestic judges in application of the
Hague Abduction Convention; and
(4) information on
actions taken by the Central Authority of the United States to train United
States Armed Forces legal assistance personnel, military chaplains, and
military family support center personnel about abductions, the risk of loss of
access to children, and the legal frameworks available to resolve such
cases.
(e)
Repeal of the
Hague Convention compliance report
Section 2803 of the Foreign
Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (42 U.S.C. 11611) is
repealed.
102.
Standards and
assistance
The Secretary of
State shall ensure that United States diplomatic and consular missions
abroad—
(1) maintain a
consistent reporting standard with respect to abduction cases and access cases
involving abducted children in the country in which such mission is located for
purposes of the Annual Report;
(2) designate at least
one official in each such mission to assist left-behind parents from the United
States who are visiting such country to resolve cases involving an abduction or
rights of access; and
(3) monitor
developments in cases involving abducted children in the country in which such
mission is located.
103.
Memorandum of
Understanding
(a)
In
general
The Secretary of
State shall seek to enter into an MOU with every country that is not a
Convention country.
(b)
MOU
provisions
An MOU shall include, with respect to the applicable
MOU country—
(1) identification of
the Central Authority;
(2) a protocol to identify, locate, and
effectuate the return of an abducted child identified in an abduction case not
later than 6 weeks after the application with respect to the abduction case has
been submitted to the judicial or administrative authority, as applicable, of
the country in which the abducted child is located;
(3) a
protocol for the establishment and protection of the rights of access;
(4) identification of
the judicial or administrative authority that will promptly adjudicate
abduction cases and access cases;
(5) identification of a law enforcement agency
and available law enforcement mechanisms and procedures to ensure the immediate
enforcement of an order issued by the authority identified pursuant to
paragraph (4) to return an abducted child to a left-behind parent, including
by—
(A) conducting an
investigation to ascertain the location of the abducted child;
(B) providing
protection to the abducted child after such child is located; and
(C) retrieving the
abducted child and making the appropriate arrangements for such child to be
returned to the country of habitual residence;
(6) a protocol to establish periodic visits
between a United States embassy or consular official and an abducted child to
allow the official to ascertain the child’s location and welfare; and
(7) such other
provisions as determined to be appropriate by the Secretary of State.
(c)
Rule of
construction
(1)
In
general
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the
United States from proposing and entering into a memorandum of understanding
with a Convention country to further clarify the reciprocal obligations of the
United States and the Convention country under the Hague Abduction Convention.
(2)
Treatment of
obligations of Convention country
In those instances in which
there is a memorandum of understanding as described in paragraph (1), the
obligations of the Convention country under such memorandum shall be considered
to be obligations of such country under the Hague Abduction Convention for
purposes of this Act.
104.
Notification of
congressional representatives
(a)
Notification
Except as provided in subsection (b), the
Secretary of State shall notify in writing the Member of Congress and Senators
representing the legal residence of a left-behind parent when such parent
reports an abduction to the Central Authority of the United States.
(b)
Exception
The
notification requirement under subsection (a) shall not apply if the
left-behind parent does not consent to the notification described in such
subsection.
(c)
Member of
Congress defined
In this section, the term Member of
Congress means a Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner
to, the Congress.
II
Presidential
actions
201.
Presidential
actions in response to unresolved cases
(a)
Response to
international child abductions
(1)
United States
policy
It shall be the policy of the United States to—
(A) promote the best
interest of children abducted from the United States by establishing legal
rights and procedures for their prompt return and by promoting such rights and
procedures through actions that ensure the enforcement of reciprocal
international obligations; and
(B) recognize the international character of
the Hague Abduction Convention, and the need for reciprocity pursuant to and
the uniform international interpretation of the Hague Abduction Convention, by
promoting the timely resolution of abduction cases and access cases through 1
or more of the actions described in section 205.
(2)
Requirement of
Presidential Action
Whenever the President determines that the
government of a foreign country has failed to resolve an unresolved abduction
case or unresolved access case, the President shall oppose such failure through
one or more of the actions described in subsection (b).
(b)
Presidential
actions
(1)
In
general
Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the President, in
consultation with the Secretary of State, shall, as expeditiously as
practicable in response to the failure described in subsection (a) by the
government of a foreign country, take 1 or more of the actions described in
paragraphs (1) through (18) of section 205(a) (or commensurate action as
provided in section 205(b)) with respect to such country.
(2)
Deadline for
actions
(A)
In
general
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), not later than
March 31 of each year, the President shall take 1 or more of the actions
described in paragraphs (1) through (18) of section 205(a) (or commensurate
action as provided in section 205(b)) with respect to each foreign country the
government of which has failed to resolve an unresolved abduction case or
access case that is pending as of such date.
(B)
Exception
In
the case of an action under any of paragraphs (11) through (18) of section
205(a) (or commensurate action as provided in section 205(b))—
(i) the
action may only be taken after the requirements of sections 203 and 204 have
been satisfied; and
(ii) the
March 31 deadline to take the action shall not apply.
(3)
Authority for
delay of presidential actions
The President may delay action described in
any of the paragraphs (11) through (18) of section 205(a) (or commensurate
action as provided in section 205(b)), as required under paragraph (2), if the
President determines and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees
that a single, additional period of time, not to exceed 90 days, is
necessary—
(A) for a continuation
of negotiations that have been commenced with the country to resolve the
unresolved case; or
(B) in anticipation
that the case will be resolved by such country during such 90-day
period.
(c)
Implementation
(1)
In
general
In carrying out subsection (b), the President
shall—
(A) take 1 or more
actions that most appropriately respond to the nature and severity of the
failure to resolve the unresolved cases; and
(B) seek to the
fullest extent possible to target action as narrowly as practicable with
respect to the agencies or instrumentalities of the foreign government that are
responsible for such failures.
(2)
Guidelines for
presidential actions
In addition to the guidelines under
paragraph (1), the President, in determining whether to take 1 or more actions
under paragraphs (11) through (18) of section 205(a) (or commensurate action as
provided in section 205(b)), shall seek to minimize any adverse impact
on—
(A) the population of
the country whose government is targeted by the action or actions; and
(B) the humanitarian
activities of United States and foreign nongovernmental organizations in the
country.
202.
Presidential
actions in response to patterns of noncooperation in cases of international
child abductions
(a)
Response to a
pattern of noncooperation
(1)
United states
policy
It shall be the policy of the United States to—
(A) oppose
institutional or other systemic failures of foreign governments to fulfill
their obligations pursuant to the Hague Abduction Convention or MOU, as
applicable, to resolve abduction cases and access cases; and
(B) promote
reciprocity pursuant to and compliance with the Hague Abduction Convention by
Convention countries and compliance with the applicable MOU by MOU
countries.
(2)
Requirement of
presidential action
Whenever the President determines that the
government of a foreign country has engaged in a pattern of noncooperation, the
President shall promote the resolution of the unresolved cases through one or
more of the actions described in subsection (c).
(b)
Designations of
countries with patterns of noncooperation in cases of international child
abduction
(1)
Annual
review
(A)
In
general
Not later than March 31 of each year, the President shall
review the status of abduction cases and access cases in each foreign country
to determine whether the government of such country has engaged in a pattern of
noncooperation during the preceding 12 months or since the date of the last
review of such country under this subparagraph, whichever period is longer. The
President shall designate each country the government of which has engaged in a
pattern of noncooperation as a Country With a Pattern of Noncooperation.
(B)
Basis of
review
Each review conducted
under subparagraph (A) shall be based upon information contained in the latest
Annual Report and on any other evidence available.
(2)
Determinations
of responsible parties
For
the government of each country designated as a Country With a Pattern of
Noncooperation under paragraph (1)(A), the President shall seek to determine
the agencies or instrumentalities of such government that are responsible for
the pattern of noncooperation by such government in order to appropriately
target actions under this section in response.
(3)
Congressional
notification
Whenever the President designates a country as a
Country With a Pattern of Noncooperation under paragraph (1)(A), the President
shall, as soon as practicable after such designation is made, transmit to the
appropriate congressional committees—
(A) the designation of
the country, signed by the President; and
(B) the identification, if any, of responsible
agencies or instrumentalities determined under paragraph (2).
(c)
Presidential
actions with respect to a Country With a Pattern of Noncooperation
(1)
In
general
Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) with respect to each
Country With a Pattern of Noncooperation designated under subsection (b)(1)(A),
the President shall, after the requirements of sections 203 and 204 have been
satisfied, but not later than 90 days (or 180 days in case of a delay under
paragraph (2)) after the date of such designation of the country under such
subsection, take 1 or more of the actions under paragraphs (11) through (18) of
section 205(a) (or commensurate action as provided in section 205(b)).
(2)
Authority for
delay of presidential actions
If, on or before the date that the
President is required to take action under paragraph (1), the President
determines and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that a
single, additional period of time not to exceed 90 days is necessary—
(A) for a continuation
of negotiations that have been commenced with the government of such country to
bring about a cessation of the pattern of noncooperation by such country,
or
(B) for a review of
corrective action taken by such country after designation of such country as a
Country With a Pattern of Noncooperation under subsection (b)(1)(A) or in
anticipation that corrective action will be taken by such country during such
90-day period,
the
President shall not be required to take such action until the expiration of
such period of time.
(3)
Exception for
ongoing presidential action
(A)
In
general
The President shall not be required to take action under
paragraph (1) with respect to a Country With a Pattern of Noncooperation
if—
(i) the President has taken action pursuant to
paragraph (1) with respect to such country in a preceding year, such action is
in effect at the time such country is designated as a Country with a Pattern of
Noncooperation under subsection (b)(1)(A), and the President submits to the
appropriate congressional committees the information described in section 204
regarding the actions in effect with respect to such country; or
(ii) subject to subparagraph (B), the President
determines that such country is subject to multiple, broad-based sanctions
imposed in significant part in response to human rights abuses and that such
sanctions also satisfy the requirements of this subsection.
(B)
Additional
requirements
If the President
makes a determination under subparagraph (A)(ii)—
(i) the report under section 204 and, as
applicable, the publication in the Federal Register under section 208, shall
specify the specific sanction or sanctions that the President has determined
satisfy the requirements of this subsection; and
(ii) such sanctions shall remain in effect
subject to section 209.
(d)
Rule of
construction
A determination under this section that a foreign
country has engaged in a pattern of noncooperation shall not be construed to
require the termination of assistance or other activities with respect to such
country under any other provision of law, including section 116 or 502B of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151(n) or 2304).
203.
Consultations
(a)
Duty To consult
with foreign governments
(1)
In
general
As soon as practicable after the President makes a
determination under section 201 in response to failures to resolve unresolved
cases and the President decides to take action under paragraphs (11) through
(18) of section 205(a) (or commensurate action as provided in section 205(b))
with respect to that country, or not later than 90 days after the President
designates a country as a Country With a Pattern of Noncooperation pursuant to
section 202(b)(1)(A), the President shall—
(A) request consultation with the government of
such country regarding the failures giving rise to designation of that country
as a Country With a Pattern of Noncooperation regarding the pattern of
noncooperation or to action under section 201; and
(B) if agreed to,
enter into such consultations with such country, privately or publicly.
(2)
Duty To consult
with left-behind parents
The
President shall consult with left-behind parents who have an abduction case
involving a child located in the country referenced in paragraph (1)(A), or
designated representatives or representative groups of such left-behind
parents, during the course of the consultations conducted pursuant to paragraph
(1) concerning the potential impact of such consultations on the resolution of
such cases.
204.
Report to
Congress
(a)
In
general
Subject to subsection
(b), not later than 90 days after the President makes a determination under
section 201 in response to failures to resolve unresolved cases and the
President decides to take action under paragraphs (11) through (18) of section
205(a) (or commensurate action as provided in section 205(b)) with respect to
that country, or not later than 90 days after the President designates a
country as a Country With a Pattern of Noncooperation pursuant to section
202(b)(1)(A), the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report on the following:
(1)
Identification
of presidential actions
An identification of the action or
actions described in section 205(a) (or commensurate action as provided in
section 205(b)) to be taken with respect to such country.
(2)
Description of
violations
A description of the failure to resolve an unresolved
case or the pattern of noncooperation, as applicable, giving rise to the action
or actions to be taken by the President.
(3)
Purpose of
presidential actions
A description of the purpose of the action
or actions.
(4)
Evaluation
(A)
Description
An
evaluation, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the parties described
in section 203(b), and other parties the President determines appropriate, of
the anticipated impact of the Presidential action upon—
(i) pending abduction
cases in such country;
(ii) the government of
such country;
(iii) the population
of such country;
(iv) the United States
economy;
(v) other interested
parties; and
(vi) if
such country is a Convention country or an MOU country, the reciprocal
fulfillment of obligations pursuant to such Convention or applicable MOU, as
applicable.
(B)
Form
The
evaluation under subparagraph (A) shall be transmitted in unclassified form,
but may contain a classified annex if necessary.
(5)
Statement of
Policy Options
A statement that noneconomic policy options
designed to resolve the unresolved case or bring about the cessation of the
pattern of noncooperation have reasonably been exhausted, including the
consultations required in section 203.
(b)
Delay in
transmittal of report
If, on or before the date that the
President is required to submit a report under subsection (a) to the
appropriate congressional committees, the President determines and certifies to
such committees that a single, additional period of time not to exceed 90 days
is necessary pursuant to section 202(c)(2), the President shall not be required
to submit the report to such committees until the expiration of such period of
time.
205.
Presidential
actions
(a)
Description of
presidential actions
Except
as provided in subsection (c), the Presidential actions referred to in this
subsection are the following:
(1) A
private demarche.
(2) An official public
demarche.
(3) A
public condemnation.
(4) A
public condemnation within one or more multilateral fora.
(5) The delay or
cancellation of one or more scientific exchanges.
(6) The delay or
cancellation of one or more cultural exchanges.
(7) The denial of one
or more working, official, or state visits.
(8) The delay or
cancellation of one or more working, official, or state visits.
(9) A formal request to the foreign country
concerned to extradite the individual who is engaged in abduction.
(10) The restriction of the number of visas
issued to nationals of such country pursuant to subparagraphs (F), (J), or (M)
of section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1101(a)(15)).
(11) The withdrawal,
limitation, or suspension of United States development assistance in accordance
with section 116 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2151n).
(12) Directing the
Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Overseas Private Investment
Corporation, or the Trade and Development Agency not to approve the issuance of
any (or a specified number of) guarantees, insurance, extensions of credit, or
participations in the extension of credit with respect to such government or
the agency or instrumentality of such government determined by the President to
be responsible for such unresolved case or pattern of noncooperation, as
applicable.
(13) The withdrawal,
limitation, or suspension of United States security assistance in accordance
with section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2304).
(14) In accordance
with section 701 of the International Financial Institutions Act of 1977 (22
U.S.C. 262d), directing the United States executive directors of international
financial institutions to oppose and vote against loans primarily benefitting
such government or the agency or instrumentality of such government determined
by the President to be responsible for such unresolved case or pattern of
noncooperation, as applicable.
(15) The denial,
withdrawal, suspension, or limitation of benefits provided pursuant to title V
of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.), relating to the Generalized
System of Preferences.
(16) Ordering the
heads of the appropriate United States agencies not to issue any (or a
specified number of) specific licenses, and not to grant any other specific
authority (or a specified number of authorities), to export any goods or
technology to such government or to the agency or instrumentality of such
government determined by the President to be responsible for such unresolved
case or pattern of noncooperation, as applicable, under—
(A) the Export
Administration Act of 1979 (as continued in effect under the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act);
(B) the Arms Export
Control Act;
(C) the Atomic Energy
Act of 1954; or
(D) any other statute
that requires the prior review and approval of the United States Government as
a condition for the export or re-export of goods or services.
(17) Prohibiting any
United States financial institution from making loans or providing credits
totaling more than $10,000,000 in any 12-month period to such government or to
the agency or instrumentality of such government determined by the President to
be responsible for such unresolved case or pattern of noncooperation, as
applicable.
(18) Prohibiting the
United States Government from procuring, or entering into any contract for the
procurement of, any goods or services from such government or from the agency
or instrumentality of such government determined by the President to be
responsible for such unresolved case or pattern of noncooperation, as
applicable.
(b)
Commensurate
action
Except as provided in subsection (c), the President may
substitute any other action authorized by law for any action described in
subsection (a) if such action is commensurate in effect to the action
substituted and if such action would further the purposes of this Act as
specified in section 2(c). The President shall seek to take all appropriate and
feasible actions authorized by law to resolve the unresolved case or to obtain
the cessation of such pattern of noncooperation, as applicable. If commensurate
action is taken under this subsection, the President shall transmit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report on such action, together with an
explanation for taking such action.
(c)
Exceptions
Any
action taken pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) may not prohibit or restrict the
provision of medicine, medical equipment or supplies, food, or other
life-saving humanitarian assistance.
206.
Effects on
existing contracts
The
President shall not be required to apply or maintain any action under section
205—
(1) in the case of
procurement of defense articles or defense services—
(A) under existing
contracts or subcontracts, including the exercise of options for production
quantities, to satisfy requirements essential to the national security of the
United States;
(B) if the President
determines in writing and transmits to the appropriate congressional committees
a report that the government or the agency or instrumentality of such
government to which such action would otherwise be applied is a sole source
supplier of such defense articles or services, that such defense articles or
services are essential, and that alternative sources are not readily or
reasonably available; or
(C) if the President
determines in writing and transmits to the appropriate congressional committees
a report that such defense articles or services are essential to the national
security of the United States under defense co-production agreements; or
(2) to products or
services provided under contracts entered into before the date on which the
President publishes in the Federal Register notice of such action in accordance
with section 208.
207.
Presidential
waiver
(a)
In
general
Subject to subsection
(b), the President may waive the application of any of the actions described in
paragraphs (11) through (18) of section 205(a) (or commensurate action as
provided in section 205(b)) with respect to a country, if the President
determines and so reports to the appropriate congressional committees
that—
(1) the government of
such country has satisfactorily resolved any abduction cases or access cases
giving rise to the application of any of such actions and—
(A) if such country is
a Convention country, such country has taken measures to ensure future
compliance with the provisions of the Hague Abduction Convention;
(B) if such country is
an MOU country, such country has taken measures to ensure future compliance
with the provisions of the MOU at issue; or
(C) if such country
was a nonparty country at the time the abductions or denials of rights of
access resulting in the abduction cases or access cases occurred, such country
has become a Convention country or an MOU country;
(2) the exercise of
such waiver authority would further the purposes of this Act; or
(3) the important
national interest of the United States requires the exercise of such waiver
authority.
(b)
Congressional
notification
Not later than the date of the exercise of a waiver
under subsection (a), the President shall notify the appropriate congressional
committees of such waiver or the intention to exercise such waiver, together
with a detailed justification thereof.
208.
Publication in
Federal Register
(a)
In
general
Subject to subsection (b), the President shall ensure
publication in the Federal Register of the following:
(1)
Determinations
of governments, agencies, instrumentalities of countries with patterns of
noncooperation
Any
designation of a country that the President has designated as a Country With a
Pattern of Noncooperation under section 202(b)(1), together with, when
applicable and to the extent practicable, the identities of agencies or
instrumentalities determined to be responsible for such pattern of
noncooperation.
(2)
Presidential
actions
A description of any
action under paragraphs (11) through (18) of section 205(a) (or commensurate
action as provided in section 205(b)) and the effective date of such
action.
(3)
Delays in
transmittal of presidential action reports
Any delay in
transmittal of a report required under section 204.
(4)
Waivers
Any
waiver issued under section 207.
(b)
Limited
disclosure of information
The President may limit publication of
information under this section in the same manner and to the same extent as the
President may limit the publication of findings and determinations described in
section 654(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2414(c)), if
the President determines that the publication of such information—
(1) would be harmful
to the national security of the United States; or
(2) would not further
the purposes of this Act.
209.
Termination of
Presidential actions
Any
action taken under this Act or any amendment made by this Act with respect to a
foreign country shall terminate on the earlier of the following two
dates:
(1) Not later than two
years after the effective date of such action unless expressly reauthorized by
law.
(2) The date on which
the President transmits to Congress a certification containing a determination
of the President that the government of such country has resolved any
unresolved case or has taken substantial and verifiable steps to correct the
pattern of noncooperation at issue, as applicable, that gave rise to such
action.
210.
United States
assistance
(a)
Implementation
of prohibition on economic assistance
Section 116(c) of the Foreign Assistance
Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(c)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2),
by striking and at the end;
(2) in paragraph
(3)(B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and;
and
(3) by adding at the
end the following new paragraph:
(4) whether the government has engaged in a
pattern of noncooperation regarding abduction cases or access cases, as such
terms are defined in the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction
Prevention and Return Act of
2013.
.
(b)
Implementation
of prohibition on security assistance
Section 502B(a)(4) of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(a)(4)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph
(A), by striking or at the end;
(2) in subparagraph
(B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or;
and
(3) by adding at the
end the following new subparagraph:
(C) has engaged in a pattern of noncooperation
regarding abduction cases or access cases, as such terms are defined in the
Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act
of
2013.
.
211.
Multilateral
assistance
Section 701 of the
International Financial Institutions Act (22 U.S.C. 262d) is amended—
(1) by redesignating
the second subsection (g) (as added by Public Law 105–292) as subsection (h);
and
(2) by adding at the
end the following new subsection:
(i) In determining whether the government of a
country engages in a pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized
human rights, as described in subsection (a), the President shall give
particular consideration to whether such government has engaged in a pattern of
noncooperation regarding abduction cases or access cases, as such terms are
defined in the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention
and Return Act of
2013.
.
212.
Amendment to
generalized system of preferences eligibility for generalized system of
preferences
Section 502(b)(2)
of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2462(b)(2)) is amended—
(1) by inserting after
subparagraph (H) the following new subparagraph:
(I) Such country is a country with a pattern of
noncooperation regarding abduction cases or access cases, as such terms are
defined in the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention
and Return Act of 2013.
;
and
(2) in the flush left
matter after subparagraph (I) (as added by paragraph (1) of this
section)—
(A) by striking
and (H) and inserting (H); and
(B) by inserting after
D)) the following: and (I).