,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #eaja  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #af1 
#bjbb,mr4 ,wicker 7for himself and ,ms4 
,klobuchar7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations
  ,a ,,bill  ,to modify the             
,intercountry ,adoption ,act of #bjjj to
 provide a specialized accreditation    
option for performing a background study
 on a child or a home study on          
prospective adoptive parents1 and       
reporting on such a study4  #a4 ,short  
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,voluntary ,specialized ,accreditation  
for ,background and ,home ,studies ,act4
  #b4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the    
sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7          
prospective adoptive parents should     
receive high-quality services from      
experienced providers for their child   
background studies and home studies2    
7#b7 the number of accredited adoption  
service providers is declining in the   

,united ,states1 leading to fewer       
options of accredited service providers2
  7#c7 some foreign countries1 primary  
providers and many adoptive families    
have a preference that only accredited  
adoption service providers conduct      
intercountry home studies and post      
adoption reporting2  7#d7 accreditation 
and approval ensures compliance with    
standards and requires accrediting      
entities to provide oversight1          
enforcement1 and data and report        
collection for accredited and approved  
adoption service providers2 and  7#e7   
,united ,states intercountry adoption   
practices can be enhanced by supporting 
an accreditation system that includes a 
new1 limited accreditation option for   
the provision of a background study on a
 child or a home study on a prospective 
adoptive parent1 in addition to current1
 comprehensive1 mandatory accreditation 
for primary providers4  #c4 ,amendments 
to the ,intercountry ,adoption ,act of  
#bjjj  7a7 ,definitions ,section #c of  

the ,intercountry ,adoption ,act of     
#bjjj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adijb7 is         
amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by    
inserting specialized accreditation     
after adoption services2  7#b7 by       
redesignating paragraph 7#ag7 as        
paragraph 7#ah72 and  7#c7 by inserting 
after paragraph 7#af7 the following3    
7#ag7 ,specialized accreditation ,the   
term specialized accreditation means    
voluntary accreditation that is limited 
to the provision of #a or more of the   
following services3 7,a7 ,performing a  
background study on a child in an       
outgoing case and reporting on such a   
study4  7,b7 ,performing a home study on
 a prospective adoptive parent in an    
incoming case and reporting on such a   
study4  4  7b7 ,accreditation and       
approval  7#a7 ,in general ,section     
#bjb7;b77#a7 of the ,intercountry       
,adoption ,act of #bjjj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#adibb7;b77#a77 is amended to read as   
follows3  7#a7 ,accreditation and       
approval ,accreditation of agencies1 and

 approval of persons1 to provide        
adoption services or other specialized  
services in the ,united ,states in cases
 subject to the ,convention or          
,intercountry ,adoption ,universal      
,accreditation ,act of #bjab 7,public   
,law #aab-bgf74 ,at the time of initial 
or renewal of accreditation of agencies1
 and approval of persons1 the applying  
entity shall indicate whether the entity
 seeks accreditation as-- 7,a7 an       
accredited agency or approved person2 or
  7,b7 an agency with a limited home    
study or child background study4  4     
7#b7 ,exemption from paperwork reduction
 act ,section #ejc7;c7 of the           
,intercountry ,adoption ,act of #bjjj   
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #adiec7;c77 is amended by
 inserting #bjb7;b77#a71 after #ajd14   
#d4 ,rules of construction  7a7 ,in     
general ,nothing in this ,act or the    
amendments made by this ,act may be     
construed to require that intercountry  
adoption service providers have a       
specialized accreditation 7as defined in

 section #c7ag7 of the ,intercountry    
,adoption ,act of #bjjj1 as amended by  
section #c7;a77#c771 to provide a home  
study on prospective adoptive parents   
pursuing an intercountry adoption4  7b7 
,definition of adoption service ,nothing
 in this ,act or in the amendments made 
by this ,act may be construed to modify 
the definition of adoption service under
 section #c of the ,intercountry        
,adoption ,act of #bjjj 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#adijb74  #e4 ,effective date ,this ,act
 shall take effect on the date that is  
#ij days after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act4