Intercountry Adoption Universal Accreditation Act of 2012
Public Law 112-276 · S. 3331 · 112th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Jan 14, 2013 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
Cosponsors (4): Sen. Richard Lugar, Sen. Mary Landrieu,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Intercountry Adoption Universal Accreditation Act of 2012 - Applies universal intercountry adoption accreditation standards under the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, and related regulations, to the same extent as they apply to the offering or provision of adoption services in connection with an adoption under the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, to any person offering or providing adoption services in connection with a foreign orphan under age 16 adopted or to be adopted by a U.S. citizen.
Gives the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), the Attorney General, and the accrediting entities the duties, responsibilities, and authorities under the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 and related regulations with respect to a person offering or providing such adoption services, regardless of whether such services are offered or provided in connection with a Convention adoption.
Amends the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 to: (1) repeal the prohibition against, and so make available, collected fees to accrediting entities; and (2) add a congressional report requirement on the use of federal funding.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 6027Identical bill
Intercountry Adoption Universal Accreditation Act of 2012
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.
- Jan 14, 2013Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 112-276.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jan 3, 2013FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jan 1, 2013FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
- Dec 30, 2012FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Ms. Ros-Lehtinen objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was considered as withdrawn.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 3331.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Ros-Lehtinen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Dec 7, 2012FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
- Dec 6, 2012FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 5, 2012FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Nov 13, 2012CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 539.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Kerry without amendment. With written report No. 112-234.
- Sep 19, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jun 21, 2012CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- 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.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 3310SenateSen. John KerryD-MA· offered Dec 5, 2012Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Dec 5, 2012: Amendment SA 3310 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
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.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.