[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 189 (Tuesday, September 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56372-56373]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-24768]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE


Delegation of Authority 261; Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000

AGENCY: Department of State.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-
operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the Convention) and the 
Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (the IAA) give the Secretary of State 
authority to serve as head of the United States Central Authority and 
to perform all functions related to IAA and Convention implementation. 
The functions of the Secretary of State under the Convention, and the 
IAA that may be delegated by law, are hereby delegated to the Assistant 
Secretary for Consular Affairs to ensure that she or he has the 
necessary and appropriate authority to perform those functions vested 
in the Secretary of State by the Convention, the IAA, or any 
implementing regulations.

1. General Delegation

    (a) By virtue of the authority vested in me as Secretary of State 
and except as provided in section 1(b), I hereby delegate to the 
Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, to the extent authorized by 
law, all functions relating to intercountry adoptions vested in the 
Secretary of State or the head of agency by any act, order, 
determination, delegation of authority, regulation, or executive order 
now or hereafter issued, including the Intercountry Adoption Act of 
2000, Public Law 106-279 (October 6, 2000) (hereinafter referred to as 
the ``IAA'').
    (b) There are hereby excluded from the authorities delegated under 
section 1(a) the functions conferred by section 403(b) of the IAA, 
relating to the establishment of fees for certain intercountry adoption 
services undertaken by the Department of State, which functions are 
hereby delegated to the Under Secretary for Management.
    (c) Nothing in this delegation shall be construed to delegate the 
authority vested in the Secretary of State by section 502(b) of the 
IAA, relating to case-by-case waivers in individual adoption cases of 
the requirements of the IAA or regulations issued under the IAA, or of 
any other authority that by law may not be delegated.

2. Technical Provisions

    (a) Notwithstanding this delegation of authority, the Secretary of 
State, the Deputy Secretary of State, and the Under Secretary of State 
for

[[Page 56373]]

Management may exercise any function delegated to the Assistant 
Secretary for Consular Affairs by this delegation. The Secretary of 
State and the Deputy Secretary of State may exercise the functions 
conferred by section 403(b) of the IAA and delegated under section 1(b) 
to the Under Secretary for Management.
    (b) As used in this delegation of authority, the term ``functions'' 
includes any duty, obligation, power, authority, responsibility, right, 
privilege, discretion, determination, or activity.
    (c) The functions delegated by this delegation of authority may be 
redelegated to the extent authorized by law except that the authority 
of the Secretary of State under subsection 204(c) of the IAA, relating 
to the temporary and permanent debarment of adoption service providers, 
may not be redelegated.
    (d) Any reference in this delegation of authority to any act, 
executive order, determination, delegation of authority, regulation or 
procedure shall be deemed to be a reference to such act, order, 
determination, delegation of authority, regulation, or procedure as 
amended from time to time.
    (e) This delegation shall be published in the Federal Register and 
is effective upon the date of my signature.

    Dated: September 16, 2003.
Colin L. Powell,
Secretary of State, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 03-24768 Filed 9-29-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-06-M