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International Adoption Simplification Act

Public Law 111-287 · S. 1376 · 111th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Nov 30, 2010 · Immigration

Sponsor: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Cosponsors (7): Sen. Mary Landrieu,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

International Adoption Simplification Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include in the definition of "child," and thus in the exemption from required admissions vaccination documentation, certain children who have been adopted in a foreign country that is a signatory to the Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Convention) or who are emigrating from such a country for U.S. adoption.

Includes in such definition and exemption a child who is under the age of 18 at the time an immediate relative status petition is filed on his or her behalf, has been adopted abroad or is coming for U.S. adoption, and is the natural sibling of: (1) an adopted child from a Hague Convention signatory country; (2) a child adopted under the age of 16 who has lived with the adoptive parents for at least two years, or a child who has been abused; or (3) an orphan who was under the age of 16 at the time an immediate relative status petition was filed on his or her behalf.

Makes such provisions effective on the date of enactment of this Act, except that such an alien sibling who has attained the age of 18 on or after April 1, 2008, shall be deemed to meet the age requirement if a petition for classification of the alien as an immediate relative is filed not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

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Related bills

The record lists no related bills.

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.

  1. Nov 30, 2010Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-287.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 19, 2010FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 15, 2010FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
  6. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1376.
  7. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  8. FloorFloor · Mr. Conyers moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  9. OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
  10. Jul 26, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
  11. Jul 22, 2010FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  12. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
  14. Jul 21, 2010FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  15. FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
  16. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  17. Jul 14, 2010FloorFloor · By Senator Leahy from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 111-220.
  18. Mar 22, 2010CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 330.
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  20. Dec 17, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  21. Jun 25, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  22. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 4498SenateSen. Amy KlobucharD-MN· offered Jul 21, 2010Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Jul 21, 2010: Amendment SA 4498 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.