US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

42 U.S.C. § 14925

Universal accreditation requirements

(a)

In general

42 U.S.C. 1490142 U.S.C. 14944section 1101(b)(1)(F) of title 842 U.S.C. 1494442 U.S.C. 14921The provisions of title II and section 404 of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 ( et seq.[, ]), and related implementing regulations, shall apply to any person offering or providing adoption services in connection with a child described in , to the same extent as they apply to the offering or provision of adoption services in connection with a Convention adoption. The Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General (with respect to section 404(b) of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 ([(b)])), and the accrediting entities shall have the duties, responsibilities, and authorities under title II and title IV of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 [ et seq., 14941 et seq.] and related implementing regulations with respect to a person offering or providing such adoption services, irrespective of whether such services are offered or provided in connection with a Convention adoption.

(b)

Effective date

The provisions of this section shall take effect 18 months after .

(c)

Transition rule

This Act shall not apply to a person offering or providing adoption services as described in subsection (a) in the case of a prospective adoption in which—
(1)
an application for advance processing of an orphan petition or petition to classify an orphan as an immediate relative for a child is filed before the date that is 180 days after ; or
(2)
the prospective adoptive parents of a child have initiated the adoption process with the filing of an appropriate application in a foreign country sufficient such that the Secretary of State is satisfied before the date that is 180 days after .

Pub. L. 112–276, § 2126 Stat. 2466(, , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Pub. L. 106–279114 Stat. 825section 14901 of this titleThe Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, referred to in subsec. (a), is , , . Title II of the Act is classified principally to this subchapter, and title IV of the Act is classified generally to subchapter IV (§ 14941 et seq.) of this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.

Pub. L. 112–276126 Stat. 2466section 14901 of this titleThis Act, referred to in subsec. (c), is , , , known as the Intercountry Adoption Universal Accreditation Act of 2012. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 2013 Amendment note set out under and Tables.

Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Intercountry Adoption Universal Accreditation Act of 2012, and not as part of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 which comprises this chapter.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Definitions

Pub. L. 112–276, § 4126 Stat. 2467

section 14901 of this title42 U.S.C. 14902“In this Act [see Short Title of 2013 Amendment note set out under ], the terms ‘accrediting entity’, ‘adoption service’, ‘Convention adoption’, and ‘person’ have the meanings given those terms in section 3 of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 ().”
, , , provided that: