[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4920 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4920

   To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop 
recommendations for proposed model adoption legislation and procedures.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 8, 1994

 Mrs. Lowey (for herself and Mr. Wyden) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop 
recommendations for proposed model adoption legislation and procedures.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. MODEL ADOPTION LEGISLATION AND PROCEDURES.

    Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this Act as 
the ``Secretary'') shall issue, based on the recommendations of the 
panel described in section 2, proposed model adoption legislation and 
procedures and publish such proposal in the Federal Register for 
comment. After soliciting and giving due consideration to the comments 
of interested individuals, groups, and organizations, and consulting 
further with such panel, the Secretary shall issue and publish model 
adoption legislation and procedures which shall not conflict with the 
provisions of any interstate compact in operation pursuant to which 
States are making, supervising, or regulating placements of children. 
The model adoption legislation and procedures shall provide that the 
principal consideration in an adoption proceeding is providing for the 
best interest of the child, and shall contain provisions regarding the 
best interests of children with special needs.

SEC. 2. ADVISORY PANEL.

    (a) Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall appoint a panel (referred to in this Act as 
the ``panel'') to be composed of not less than 11 nor more than 17 
members generally representative of a broad range of public, voluntary, 
and legal organizations, agencies, and persons interested and with 
expertise and experience in facilitating the achievement of the 
purposes of this title (including, but not limited to, child welfare 
organizations, including those representative of minorities; birth 
parents; and adoptive parent organizations). The panel shall--
            (1) review current conditions, practices, and laws relating 
        to adoption, with special reference to their effect on 
        facilitating or impeding the location of suitable adoptive 
        homes for children who would benefit by adoption and the 
        completion of suitable adoptions for such children; and
            (2) not later than 12 months after the date on which the 
        members of the panel have been appointed, propose to the 
        Secretary model (including adoption assistance agreement) 
        legislation and procedures relating to adoption designed to 
        facilitate adoption by families of all economic levels.
    (b) The panel shall be terminated 30 days after the Secretary 
publishes the final model legislation and procedures pursuant to 
section 1.
    (c) Members of the panel, other than those regularly employed by 
the Federal Government, while serving on business of the panel shall be 
entitled to receive compensation at a rate not in excess of the daily 
equivalent of the rate payable, under section 5322 of title 5, United 
States Code, for positions in the General Schedule above GS-15, 
including traveltime; and while so serving away from their homes or 
regular places of business, they may be allowed travel expenses 
(including per diem in lieu of subsistence) as authorized by section 
5703 of such title for persons in the Government service employed 
intermittently.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.

    The Secretary shall take such steps as he or she deems necessary to 
encourage and facilitate the enactment in each State of comprehensive 
adoption assistance legislation and the establishment in each State of 
the model legislation and procedures published pursuant to section 1. 
The Secretary shall coordinate efforts to improve State legislation 
with national, State, and local child and family services 
organizations, including organizations representative of minorities and 
adoptive families.
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