Washington, DC - On Wednesday, July 23, 2014, the House of Representatives unanimously approved H.R. 4980, the “Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act." This bipartisan, bicameral bill reflects agreements reached between House and Senate leaders on three separate bills designed to prevent sex trafficking of children in foster care, increase adoptions from foster care, and increase child support collections for families, among other purposes. H.R. 4980 is fully paid for, and will reduce the deficit by $19 million over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The Senate is expected to consider this legislation in the coming days.
Speaking about the passage of the bill, Chairman Camp said, “This bill will not only help prevent sex trafficking and strengthen the child support system, but it will also help ensure more children in foster care move into adoptive homes more quickly. We have already seen great progress in increasing adoptions in recent years, and it is my hope that we can continue this progress once this bill is signed into law."
Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman Reichert said, “I can’t think of a more important, or more bipartisan, topic than protecting vulnerable children in foster care and working to find loving homes for each of them. This legislation represents bipartisan, bicameral progress in protecting our nation’s most vulnerable kids, and I’m grateful that this bill has now passed the House - bringing it one step closer to becoming law. I look forward to quick action by the Senate so these key reforms can be implemented without delay."
Video of House action on the bill can be found here.
A summary of the bill as passed by the House can be found here.
The text of the bill as passed by the House can be found here.
Ways and Means Chairman Camp’s House floor statement can be found here.
Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman Reichert’s House floor statement can be found here.
This bill was supported by the following organizations:
Adoption Exchange
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Psychological Association
Association on American Indian Affairs
Attachment and Trauma Network
California Alliance of Child and Family Services
Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Cherokee Nation
Child Welfare League of America
Children Awaiting Parents
Children’s Defense Fund
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Donaldson Adoption Institute
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Eastern Shoshone Tribe
First Focus Campaign for Children
Fort Belknap Child Support Program
Foster Club
Foster Family-Based Treatment Association
Generations United
Holt International
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Love 146
Menominee Tribal Child Support Agency
Mescalero Apache Tribe
Meskwaki Nation Child Support Services
National Adoption Center
National Child Support Enforcement Association National Children’s Alliance
National Crittenton Foundation
National Foster Parent Association
National Indian Child Welfare Association
Nebraska Families Collaborative
Nez Perce Tribe
North American Council on Adoptable Children
New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children
Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin
Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center
Penobscot Nation Child Support Agency
Red Cliff Tribal Child Support Services Agency
Rights4Girls
Stockbridge-Munsee Community
Suquamish Tribe
Tribal Child Support Enforcement Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma
Voice for Adoption
You Gotta Believe
Yurok Tribe
