[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2227 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2227

 To amend chapter 79 of title 5, United States Code, to allow Federal 
 agencies to reimburse their employees for certain adoption expenses, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 9, 2000

   Mr. Bond (for himself, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Craig, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. 
 Johnson, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Robb, Mr. Stevens, and Mr. 
    Warner) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
           referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend chapter 79 of title 5, United States Code, to allow Federal 
 agencies to reimburse their employees for certain adoption expenses, 
                        and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Employees Adoption 
Assistance Act''.

SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT FOR ADOPTION EXPENSES.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 79 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 7906. Reimbursement for adoption expenses
    ``(a) In this section:
            ``(1) The term `agency' means--
                    ``(A) an Executive agency; and
                    ``(B) the judicial branch.
            ``(2) The term `eligible child' means any individual who--
                    ``(A) has not attained the age of 18 years;
                    ``(B) is physically or mentally incapable of self-
                care; or
                    ``(C) is a child with special needs, as defined in 
                section 473(c) of the Social Security Act.
            ``(3) The term `head of an agency' means, in the case of 
        the judicial branch, the Director of the Administrative Office 
        of the United States Courts.
            ``(4) The term `qualified adoption expenses', as used with 
        respect to an employee, means reasonable and necessary expenses 
        that--
                    ``(A) are directly related to, and the principal 
                purpose of which is for, the legal adoption of an 
                eligible child by the employee;
                    ``(B) are not incurred in violation of Federal or 
                State law or in carrying out any surrogate parenting 
                arrangement; and
                    ``(C) are not incurred in connection with the 
                adoption by an individual of a child who is the child 
                of such individual's spouse.
    ``(b) Each head of an agency shall carry out a program under which 
an employee of such agency may be reimbursed, as provided in this 
section, for qualified adoption expenses incurred by such employee.
    ``(c) A benefit may not be paid under this section for any expense 
paid to or for an employee under any other adoption benefits program 
administered by the Federal Government or under any such program 
administered by a State or local government.
    ``(d) In no event may more than $2,000 be paid under this section 
for expenses incurred in connection with the adoption of any 1 child 
(even if both adopting parents are employees).
    ``(e) Any amount payable under this section to an employee shall be 
paid from the appropriation or fund used to pay such employee.
    ``(f)(1) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management may 
issue any general guidelines that the Office considers to be necessary 
to promote the uniform administration of this section.
    ``(2) Each head of an agency shall prescribe regulations to carry 
out this section. Any regulations prescribed by the head of an agency 
within the executive branch to carry out this section shall be 
consistent with any guidelines issued under paragraph (1).
    ``(3) On the request of any agency, the Director of the Office of 
Personnel Management may provide consulting, technical, and other 
similar assistance to carry out this section.''.
    (b) Applicability to the United States Postal Service and the 
Postal Rate Commission.--Section 1005(d)(2) of title 39, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting ``section 7906,'' after ``5532,''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 79 of 
title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``7906. Reimbursement for adoption expenses.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to 
expenses incurred not earlier than the date of enactment of this Act.
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