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Klobuchar's Bipartisan Adoption Bill Passes Senate

Legislation would protect children's health and keep siblings together in international adoptions

July 23, 2010

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced today that the full Senate passed the International Adoption Simplification Act.  The legislation, introduced by Klobuchar and cosponsored by James Inhofe (R-OK), and Mary Landrieu (D-LA), would restore two exemptions to U.S. immigration law for internationally adopted children that were inadvertently eliminated when the United States began implementation of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption.  The exemptions would allow U.S. parents to adopt children who are siblings, even if one of those children is between the ages of 16 and 18, and help protect children’s health during the adoption process.
    
“These two simple exemptions are essential to ensuring the health of adoptive children and the preservation of adoptive families,” Klobuchar said.  “Parents from across Minnesota and the nation have been waiting too long to see these provisions restored.  I am pleased that this bipartisan bill has made it through the Senate, and I will continue to work with my colleagues in the House to make sure this bill becomes law as soon as possible.”

“Sibling relationships are complex and deeply powerful,” said Sen. Landrieu. “They provide a sense of security and feeling of familiarity for children. The loss of this life-long  bond can have serious emotional lifelong consequences. For children who are adopted internationally, the intimate connection that is shared is even more important. This bill reinforces the importance of keeping  sibling groups together when possible and encourages the adoption of older children. Its passage would strengthen the transition process for newly adopted children.”

The Klobuchar-Inhofe-Landrieu bill allows U.S. parents to adopt children who are siblings, even if one of those children is between the ages of 16 and 18.  Normally, children aged 16 and above are ineligible for international adoption.  However, if U.S. parents are adopting foreign-born siblings and one sibling is 16 or older, this bill would allow those adoptions to proceed.

The bill also allows U.S. parents adopting foreign-born children to safely immunize their children in the United States within 30 days of their arrival rather than have to subject their children to potentially unsafe immunizations in foreign nations.  Presently, parents who adopt internationally are frequently required to immunize their children before bringing them to the United States. 

Klobuchar has been a leader on international adoption issues in the Senate. She was actively involved in helping Minnesota families with pending adoptions in Haiti following the devastating earthquake that struck the island on January 12, 2010.  She has also introduced the Adoption Fairness Act, legislation aimed at streamlining the citizenship process for adoptive children. 

Minnesota has a strong tradition of welcoming orphans from around the world, and it leads the nation with the highest per-capita rate of international adoptions. 

The International Adoption Simplification Act is also cosponsored by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Richard Lugar (R-IN), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT).  Having passed the Senate, the bill now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

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