Calling on the Government of Japan to address the urgent problem of abduction to and retention of United States citizen children in Japan, to work closely with the Government of the United States to return these children to their custodial parent or to the original jurisdiction for a custody determination in the United States, to provide left-behind parents immediate access to their children, and to adopt without delay the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
| Date | Chamber | What was voted on | Result | Yes–No | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 29, 2010 | House · vote #553 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree, as Amended | Passed | 416–1 | See who voted → |
Condemns the abduction and wrongful retention of all minor children being held in Japan away from their U.S. parents.
Calls on the government of Japan to: (1) facilitate the resolution of all abduction cases and to recognize related U.S. court orders; (2) include Japan's Ministry of Justice in work with the U.S. government to identify and locate U.S. citizen children alleged to have been wrongfully removed to or retained in Japan; and (3) review and amend its consular procedures to ensure that travel documents for children are issued with due consideration to any court orders.
Calls on Japan to accede to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
Calls on the President of the United States and the Secretary of State to continue raising the issue of abduction and wrongful retention of U.S. citizen children in Japan.
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should: (1) recognize the issue of child abduction to and retention of U.S. citizen children in Japan as an issue of paramount importance to the United States within the context of its bilateral relationship with Japan; (2) work with the government of Japan to enact consular and passport procedures and legal agreements to prevent parental abduction to and retention of children in Japan; (3) review the advisory services available to U.S. citizens from government agencies to ensure that assistance is given to U.S. citizens in preventing the wrongful retention or removal of children and in obtaining the expeditious return of their children from Japan; (4) review its advisory services for members of the U.S. Armed Forces, particularly those stationed in Japan, to ensure that preventive education and legal assistance are made available; and (5) call upon the Secretary to establish procedures with the government of Japan to resolve parental child abduction or access issues.
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.