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HR 1940 112th Congress House International Affairs Child safety and welfare Congressional oversight Crimes against children Department of State Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad Evidence and witnesses Executive agency funding and structure Foreign aid and international relief Foreign loans and debt Human rights International law and treaties International organizations and cooperation Multilateral development programs Normal trade relations, most-favored-nation treatment Sanctions Separation, divorce, custody, support Tariffs Visas and passports

International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2011

Introduced: May 23, 2011 Introduced by: Smith, Christopher H. Republican · New Jersey See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 9 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 27, 2012
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
Mar 27, 2012
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Aug 2, 2011
Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights.
Jul 29, 2011
Referred to the Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade.
Jul 11, 2011
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
Jun 20, 2011
Referred to the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform .
May 31, 2011
Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
May 23, 2011
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Financial Services, the Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
May 23, 2011
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2011 - Establishes within the Department of State an Office on International Child Abductions which shall be headed by the Ambassador at Large for International Child Abductions.

States that Ambassador at Large shall be a principal adviser to the President and the Secretary of State regarding matters of international child abduction and refusals of rights of access. Authorizes the Ambassador at Large to represent the United States in such diplomatic matters and international forums.

States that the primary responsibilities of the Ambassador at Large shall be to: (1) promote measures to prevent the international abduction of children from the United States, (2) advocate on behalf of abducted children whose habitual residence is the United States, (3) assist left-behind parents in the resolution of abduction or refusal of access cases, and (4) advance mechanisms to prevent and resolve cases of international child abduction.

Directs the President to: (1) annually review the status of unresolved cases in each foreign country to determine whether the government has engaged in a pattern of noncooperation, and if so, designate such country as a Country With a Pattern of Noncooperation; (2) notify the appropriate congressional committees of such designation; and (3) take specified presidential or commensurate actions to bring about a cessation of noncooperation.

Sets forth consultation, notification, and reporting requirements for the President and the Secretary.

Prohibits judicial review of any presidential determination or agency action under this Act.

Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the International Financial Institutions Act to require the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President, respectively, in determining whether a country engages in a pattern of gross human right violations for purposes of assistance considerations, to consider whether such country has engaged in a pattern of noncooperation regarding unresolved cases of international child abduction or denial of rights of access, or has failed to undertake serious efforts to locate children abducted to such country.

Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to consider for tariff preference purposes whether a country has engaged in a pattern of noncooperation regarding unresolved cases of international child abduction or denial of rights of access.

Amends the Admiral James W. Nance and Meg Donovan Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001 to require, for issuance of a passport for a child under 14 years old living outside the United States, that the person executing the passport application provides documentary evidence that such person is a U.S. citizen, has joint custody over the child, and is executing such application outside the United States.

What's happening now March 27, 2012

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.

 Committees of jurisdiction 10